This study attempts to explore the perceived value of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in training teachers of students with behavioral disorders (E/BD) in Hong Kong. It represents an effort to improve the predominately lecture focussed approach adopted in many preparation programs. Data on the training needs of Hong Kong teachers were also acquired and 31 knowledge/skills areas related to teaching students with E/BD were identified. Subjects viewed the PBL approach as dynamic, interesting and incentive driven. It develops skills involved in group learning, self-directed learning, use of information resources and problem-solving. Most important, teachers felt they were supported to explore the practical problems they personally encountered in the classroom and actions they could take to resolve them. Difficulties in using PBL included a lack of resources and the tendencies of most Chinese students to accept rather than challenge others' ideas.

The aim of this thesis was to explore the key care factors that influence the educational achievement of children looked after at home and away from home in Scotland. Traditionally there has been less research conducted in Scotland than in the rest of the United Kingdom. The research analysed a large new sample - one fifth of the care leaving population in Scotland - and spans a five year period. The thesis makes an original research contribution. A unique features of the research is that it investigates the experiences of children looked after at home, alongside those looked after away from home. In addition, the research involved two large local authority areas in Scotland that had not previously participated in such research on looked after children. What emerged from the research was that the Corporate Parent (local authorities and partner agencies) had not yet successfully prioritised the educational achievement of looked after children in policy and practice, despite education being identified by the government as a mechanism for combating social exclusion. The key findings of the research demonstrated that looked after children perform less well academically than the general school population. In particular, placement type, the reason for becoming looked after and the age on becoming looked after were significant factors in determining educational achievement. Other factors such as gender and number of placements were also found to be associated with educational achievement. Empirical results further indicated that looked after children suffered from discrimination and social exclusion in all aspects of their lives, including school and where they lived. This was a significant finding as the disadvantage experienced by many looked after children continues to impact on their lives into adulthood, making them some of the most socially excluded adults in Scotland and the United Kingdom today.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Educational Studies / (M.Tech. (Inclusive Education))

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how teachers implement school-based psychosocial support to Grade 12 learners who have behavioural and emotional problems. As a secondary school teacher herself, the researcher frequently interacts with Grade 12 learners who have behavioural and emotional problems. Occurrences of behavioural and emotional problems are on the increase. This inference is based on the large number of reported learner problems in the School-based Support Team (SBST) records of a secondary school. The behavioural and emotional problems reported included violent aggressive behaviour, sexual and substance dependency, teenage pregnancy, early school drop-out and truancy. Learner problems may be caused by a variety of factors emanating from unmet development needs (Mwawenda, 2003), as well as biological factors and family and /or school factors (Papalia, Olds and Feldman, 2008). Kapp (2003), on the other hand, is of the opinion that a conducive environment may reduce learner problems and enhance improved learner wellbeing. This study forms part of the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI) introduced to certain secondary schools in 2008. Ten teachers, who were part of the school-based team of the secondary school researched, participated in this initiative. REPPSI’s initial objective was to provide psychosocial support to children orphaned by HIV/Aids in South African Development Countries (SADC). The initiative focused on taking care of children’s developmental needs– social, emotional, behavioural, physical and spiritual. In the case of the school researched, this study was a pilot project to use REPPSI guidelines to provide psychosocial support to learners who have behavioural and emotional problems in participating schools. The study investigates how teachers implement psychosocial support based on the REPSSI Initiative. The study further explores how an ecosystemic approach can be used as an alternative approach to enhance the implementation of psychosocial services provided to learners. The study anticipates that an alternative approach will improve the school-based psychosocial initiative for adolescent learners who have behavioural and emotional problems in schools. The researcher used a constructivist paradigm to describe the school-based psychosocial support provided to adolescent learners who have behavioural and emotional problems. A case study design with 10 teachers in the school-based support team was selected. The participant teachers were conveniently and purposefully selected from REPSSI trained teachers. A focus group was used to facilitate semi-structured interviews. Ten participants shared their common perceptions and concerns (De Vos, Strydom Fouche’ and Delport, 2006) in a fairly short period (two sessions of one and half hours duration with teachers). Observations, photographs, reflective notes and field notes were used to gather information. A thematic content analysis of data was used to interpret data. To ensure rigour, it was verified with participants that they agreed with the results of the data analysis process. Debriefing meetings were also held with the researcher’s supervisor. The results of this study showed that teachers view need the pre and in-service training in ecosystemic approach to reduce behavioural and emotional problems of learners important. The results reveal that the use of ecosystemic approach by teachers and all role players in the adolescent learner’s life may enhance the effectiveness of school-based psychosocial support. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / This study aimed to determine learners' understanding and experiences of the different types of bullying and to examine the extent of bullying and roles they have been exposed to in various types of bullying. The research question was: What are primary school learners. understanding and experiences of bullying? Literature indicates that bullying can be executed in direct and indirect forms (Olweus, 1993:10; Boulton et al., 2002:354; Hunter & Boyle, 2002:324; Piskin, 2003:556; Lee, 2004:9). Direct bullying can be defined as relatively open attacks on a victim (Boulton et al., 2002:354) that are carried out face to face and may include pushing, kicking and fighting (Lee, 2004:10). Indirect bullying can be defined as being more subtle and less direct (Boulton et al., 2002:354) and will include behaviour such as social isolation and exclusion from a group. This study used the Olweus Intervention Method (1995), which offers a theoretical framework that could help the researcher find meaning in respect of the roles of the bully, victim and bystander. Urie Bronfenbrenner.s ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner,1998:993-1027) of human development was used as a lens for understanding bullying. Bronfenbrenner places child development within four different interacting levels, for example, the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem (Sigelman & Schaffer, 1995:87). The researcher used a mixed-method research design as it could provide a better understanding of how learners understand their experiences of bullying . whether they were the victim, bully or witness. The total sample comprised 296 Intermediate Phase learners. The study began with a quantitative method, testing the understanding of concepts, and using a questionnaire for learners, and thereafter concluded with a qualitative method comprising a small number of learners (interviews with a focus group), exploring their experiences of bullying. The quantitative data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics to present simple summaries about the sample and the measures. The responses were recorded in frequency tables and percentages were calculated to determine general trends. The qualitative data was systematically organised into themes and patterns to bring meaning to the themes by telling a story. Information obtained from respondents was treated as highly confidential and the research findings were presented with integrity. The results indicated that most learners have not been exposed to bullying as victims, although a high number of incidences were reported. Older boys were mostly involved in incidences of physical violence. Of significance is the fact that the main kind of bullying was that of emotional bullying. Table 4.7 shows that mostly boys are teased (37.0%), while Table 4.16 shows teasing others mostly occurs between learners of the same age (30.4%). On the other hand, Table 4.17 reveals that mostly girls are prone to spread rumours about others (17.5%) of the same age as themselves (26%) and fall prey to this type of emotional bullying.

Implementation of evidence-based practices in Texas schools was examined through a survey disseminated through 495 special education directors in 20 state educational service centers. The district-level directors were asked to forward the survey to all personnel providing direct or indirect services to students with EBD. Survey participants were asked to rate 27 evidence-based interventions for students with EBD in three categories on a 5-point Likert scale: (a) importance of the intervention; (b) frequency of use of the intervention; and (c) preparedness to implement the intervention. With a response rate of 32% and representation from all 20 educational service center areas, data were analyzed through simple frequency statistics to determine that most respondents were public school special educators who had been in their current position for 5 years or less. They identified a climate that supports successful teaching and learning and clear rules/expectations as very important. They reported using procedures for the use of physical restraint most frequently, and being most well-prepared to implement clear rules/expectations. A canonical correlation analysis revealed an inverse relationship between importance ratings of tertiary level interventions and frequency of use and preparedness to implement primary level interventions which implies that while practitioners rate tertiary level interventions as important, they are more likely to be well-prepared to implement primary level interventions and to do so with more frequency. Additionally, a review of literature is provided and results and analysis of the survey are discussed as well as recommendations for the future.

No description available.

South Africa has been witnessing an escalation in drug use amongst adolescents in high school. Thus, the main question that motivated this research was: How can a psycho-educational programme, using a selected audio-visual media resource, assist teachers and parents in an effort to prevent adolescent students’ substance abuse problem behaviour? Social cognitive theory (SCT) and self-efficacy theory (SET) were used as a conceptual framework. The study explained these theories in-depth. Adolescent substance abuse was also studied as well as programmes to address this problem. This was followed by a perusal of numerous audio-visual resources for their possible incorporation into prevention programmes. The ‘Above The Influence’ (ATI) resource was selected for the psycho-educational programme which was designed for the study. The programme was put into action during seven sessions over a period of about two months, and implemented with a group of 26 Grade 10 and Grade 11 students in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to evaluate its relevance for adolescent substance abuse prevention. To evaluate the programme, a qualitative approach was used. The data were gathered during the programme implementation by means of in-person and online focus groups, individual interviews, written open-ended questions, observation notes and follow-up interviews some time after the programme had ended. Eleven principles were identified from the literature to evaluate the potential of the programme to be effective in preventing adolescent substance abuse. In particular the programme needed to increase adolescents’ skills related to studying, communication, peer relationships, self-efficacy, assertiveness, and drug resistance. The programme also had to employ interactive techniques and needed to address the type of drug abuse problem in the local community, for example, the ‘gateway’ substances of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco. In addition, the programme potential was evaluated in the light of SCT and SET. The findings indicated that the psycho-educational programme, using ATI as audiovisual medium, can be used very effectively by teachers to raise students’ awareness and develop particular skills that could contribute towards the prevention of adolescent substance abuse. It is recommended that the programme should be used in the long-term with repeated reinforcing sessions over time. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The study investigated adolescent boys who experienced behavioural problems at school and the possible causes for these phenomena. It was evident that the adolescent boys who experienced behavioural problems were found to lack emotional connections with others due to their fathers’ absence and lack of positive attachment. A total of 403 adolescent boys from various schools in the Tshwane districts were used in the sample group. This quantitative study employed the use of a quantitative questionnaire as a means of data collection that included qualitative open-ended question as a method to enrich the quantitative data and obtain insight into the life world functioning and experience of the participants. The primary aim of the research study was to determine the emotional relationship between fathers and sons within the sample group. Secondly, the study sought to investigate how this emotional relationship affects the adolescent boy’s self-concept, resilience and motivational aspects in his daily functioning. The approach to quantitative data analysis was by means of descriptive statistical analysis. The findings revealed that emotionally absent fathers indeed impact negatively on the adolescent boys’ resilience and motivational aspects of their functioning and that a father’s absence has a significant influence on the behaviours of adolescent boys in relation to motivation and resilience. However, the research results also revealed that an emotionally absent father does not significantly affect the self–concept of an adolescent boy. Finally, an intervention programme was developed to assist and guide fathers and adolescent boys to improve their relationship with one another. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)