The aim of the research was to design and assess the effectiveness of a hope enhancement programme for a group of adults and the resulting influence on their general psychological well-being. The purpose of the programme was to increase hope, as conceptualised by Snyder et al. (1991), by enhancing participants' abilities to set feasible goals, planning ways to reach those goals (pathways) and increasing determination and motivation (agency) towards goal achievement. The workshop-format programme, presented by the researcher, consisted of six two-hour sessions spread over five days. The programme was developed through incorporating suggestions from existing Hope literature together with health psychological and positive psychology principles. In order to determine the impact of the programme, four measurement instruments were used, namely the Hope Scale, the Hunter Opinions and Personal Expectations Scale (HOPES), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-29). A pre and post-test design included an experimental group (n = 8), control group (n = 8) and 'chat' group (n = 8). Prior to group compilation, screening interviews were conducted with interested participants to exclude those who had recently experienced trauma or displayed overt signs of psychological pathology. The control group received no intervention, while the 'chat' group, of which the researcher was also a member, was allowed to discuss topics of their choosing. The study groups comprised both men and women of different ages and socio-economic status. All participants were White and Afrikaans speaking. Descriptive statistics, psychometric analysis of the measuring instruments and significant differences between groups were calculated with the assistance of the STATISTICA (version 6) computer programme (Statsoft Inc., 2003). Reliability indices compared well with those recorded in the literature for the various scales. For the experimental group, the findings indicated an increase in the hope levels as reflected by significant improvement on the Hope Scale and the Hopefulness subscale of the HOPES. Subjective feedback from the group confirmed these findings. Psychological well-being improved, as shown by a significant increase in Sense of Coherence (SOC-29) along with a positive change in Satisfaction with Life (SWLS). Neither the control nor experimental groups revealed any significant changes. It was established that the hope enhancement programme is effective in increasing the levels of hope and general psychological well-being of a group of adults relatively free of psychological pathology. Considering the findings, it is recommended that future wellness intervention should not focus solely on individuals with established psychological pathology, but also consider a preventative approach within the average population. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The aim of the research was to design and assess the effectiveness of a hope enhancement programme for a group of adults and the resulting influence on their general psychological well-being. The purpose of the programme was to increase hope, as conceptualised by Snyder et al. (1991), by enhancing participants' abilities to set feasible goals, planning ways to reach those goals (pathways) and increasing determination and motivation (agency) towards goal achievement. The workshop-format programme, presented by the researcher, consisted of six two-hour sessions spread over five days. The programme was developed through incorporating suggestions from existing Hope literature together with health psychological and positive psychology principles. In order to determine the impact of the programme, four measurement instruments were used, namely the Hope Scale, the Hunter Opinions and Personal Expectations Scale (HOPES), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-29). A pre and post-test design included an experimental group (n = 8), control group (n = 8) and 'chat' group (n = 8). Prior to group compilation, screening interviews were conducted with interested participants to exclude those who had recently experienced trauma or displayed overt signs of psychological pathology. The control group received no intervention, while the 'chat' group, of which the researcher was also a member, was allowed to discuss topics of their choosing. The study groups comprised both men and women of different ages and socio-economic status. All participants were White and Afrikaans speaking. Descriptive statistics, psychometric analysis of the measuring instruments and significant differences between groups were calculated with the assistance of the STATISTICA (version 6) computer programme (Statsoft Inc., 2003). Reliability indices compared well with those recorded in the literature for the various scales. For the experimental group, the findings indicated an increase in the hope levels as reflected by significant improvement on the Hope Scale and the Hopefulness subscale of the HOPES. Subjective feedback from the group confirmed these findings. Psychological well-being improved, as shown by a significant increase in Sense of Coherence (SOC-29) along with a positive change in Satisfaction with Life (SWLS). Neither the control nor experimental groups revealed any significant changes. It was established that the hope enhancement programme is effective in increasing the levels of hope and general psychological well-being of a group of adults relatively free of psychological pathology. Considering the findings, it is recommended that future wellness intervention should not focus solely on individuals with established psychological pathology, but also consider a preventative approach within the average population. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

This dissertation reports an evaluation study which was done with an educational programme for Automotive Service Technicians which was adapted for South African conditions and derived from a programme used internationally, and originally developed in Schweinfurt, Germany in 2005. The programme was designed to answer to particular problems experienced during automotive driveline-component installations. Since the inception of this programme, ZF Germany had been training representatives from their different subsidiaries over the world on the essential elements of automotive driveline installation protocol. The representatives were trained to adapt the core programme in accordance with the particulars of the vehicle populations in each respective country, and the researcher has performed this task The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of one particular module known as “Guidelines to clutch replacement” with regard to bringing about the desired changes in knowledge, attitude and behaviour within the trainees. Previous anecdotal feedback from the industry had suggested that the programme had been helpful in the reduction of installation errors, but the extent of the successes and failures of the programme had been unknown until this study. The training department at ZF South Africa was tasked to design further training modules based on the findings of the module under study in order to establish the successes and failures of the core concept for improvement of successive programmes. The approach for this programme evaluation was utilization-focused which allowed the researcher to choose from and combine a variety of data collection strategies over the complete range of summative and formative evaluation approaches. However, in keeping with the stated aim of this study, this study had been limited to a summative inquiry by employing a quantitative data collection strategy at the hand of a quasi-experimental research design. This research report presents the findings of a one-day intervention programme that was offered to Automotive Service Technicians in the Gauteng area. The conceptual framework that was adopted for the research was based on the four level evaluation framework of Kirkpatrick (1998) with the first three levels having been empirically tested and the fourth level discussed on the basis of empirical information. Findings suggest that although the levels of knowledge-acquisition could not to be considered as high, behaviour modification had indeed been observed to be in alignment with the clutch-installation-protocol and almost all the respondents had adopted the protocol as their preferred way of executing clutch installations. In addition, most respondents found the programme to be pleasant and of a high utility value. Certain problems with the programme became evident, such as the pace having been too fast; printed hand-outs were not considered to have high utility value, and sensitivity to personal and cultural differences were found to be lacking. The low levels recorded for knowledge acquisition may be language related which possibly relates to the fast pace of the course. The research findings suggest that the course should be spread over two days instead of one day and be augmented with practical demonstrations and re-designed printed hand-outs. In order to effectively measure level four of the Kirkpatrick framework, criteria of concern should be negotiated with participating organisations in order to provide relative data for answering research questions on this level. Procedures for collecting data over the course of several years need to be established and agreed upon by all stakeholders for such data to be reliable and valid in the inclusion of a time-series study. Regarding a relatively simple programme such as the programme under study with programme objectives that have a predominant procedural-knowledge focus, the Kirkpatrick framework has been found to be effective and its procedures may be applied in other industry-based training programmes. An added academic contribution to the previous one is that the Kirkpatrick framework as utilised in this study has shown that the framework offers a high utility value for fast-paced short courses where contact time with trainees are limited and evaluation designs need to fit in with the practical limitations. The high utility value of the Kirkpatrick framework became evident in the findings of this study where transfer of learning had evidently taken place regardless of possible learning problems such as language barriers. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Early childhood development, care and education interventions coordinate resources and services that are aimed at stimulating growth for young children. Resource constraints in low and middle-income countries contribute towards a lag in childhood development initiatives compared to high-income countries. This thesis focused on the context of South Africa where the government has a long-term objective of ensuring that all children have access to quality services. However, the attainment of this goal is currently not a financially viable option, and many community-based organisations resort to alternative provisions of early childhood interventions to ensure that poor children are served. This thesis investigated implementation and associated outcomes for the Family in Focus (FiF) programme. This home-based early education programme that is targeted at young children between the ages of 0-6 years, who live in poor and marginalised communities where access and resources for care and stimulation are limited, was the programme of interest. A small sample theory-driven evaluation approach was applied to this programme to assess its viability to alleviate service access issues and produce meaningful outcomes for marginalised children. Evaluation questions were posed and a descriptive research design and a pre-post non-equivalent group quasi-experimental design that compared the results of the FiF programme to a traditional pre-school were utilised. Qualitative descriptions, descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-tests) were used to analyse the results. The FiF programme theory, although not initially clearly defined, was found to be plausible with moderate change expected for the beneficiaries of the programme. The programme, however, had a very low implementation fidelity level of 37.5%, meaning that the programme was not being implemented according to design. This was further associated with poor outcomes for the small sample of children in the FiF programme group utilised. Across the five developmental outcomes of cognitive, language, motor, social and emotional development, outcomes were particularly poor for the first three development domains against South African norms and the comparison group used in the evaluation. Early childhood education home-visiting programmes have the ultimate goal of improving child development outcomes. However, evidence shows that these programmes seem to be more successful in improving parenting skills and caregiver coping, without reaching the former ultimate goal. The comprehensive approach to assessing child development in underserved areas in this evaluation provided a novel overview of the interaction of multiple factors in school readiness in impoverished communities. There is still a lingering question as to the benefits of home visiting programmes that are increasingly being implemented across the country as an alternative provision of early childhood care and education services.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the enrolled nurse/registered nurse (EN/RN) programme to determine the extent to which the graduates of the programme had acquired knowledge and skills to provide primary health care services to communities using the Stufflebeam CIPP model as a framework. The study determined the extent to which the graduates perceived that their knowledge and skills in provision of primary health care services have been strengthened and the extent to which their supervisors perceived the improvement of the graduates' knowledge and skills in provision of primary health care services in clinical and primary health care settings. The programme used two models for upgrading: one year full-time residential and two year distance education. The study used methodological triangulation for data collection. Data collection tools comprised of self-administered questionnaires to the EN/RN upgrade graduates, structured group interviews to their supervisors from the hospitals and district health teams and the review of the students' examination records from Institute of Health Sciences/University of Botswana (IHS/UB). Data were collected and analyzed from the one year full-time residential graduates who completed the programme from 1995-2000 and from the two year part-time distance education graduates who completed the programme 1996-2000. The findings from the academic records indicated that out of the 1116 enrolled nurses that were admitted into the EN/RN upgrade programme between 1994-2000 nine (0.8%) withdrew from the programme due to ill health or personal reasons before writing the final examinations. This is indicative of a high retention rate in the programme. In the one year full-time residential programme, out of the 695 enrolled nurses were admitted in the programme from 1995-2000 period five (0.7%) withdrew from the programme before writing the final examinations, 690 students sat for the final examination and 640 (92.8%) passed. In the two year part-time distance education programme, out of the 421 enrolled nurses were admitted in the programme from 1996-2000 period four (0.9%) withdrew from the programme before writing the final examinations, 417 students sat for the final examinations and 402 (96.4%) passed. Out of the 1107 students from both the one year full-time residential and the two year part-time distance education programme that sat for the final IHS/UB examinations, 1042 (94.1%) passed. The academic records revealed that the programme was efficient and effective because 1042 (94.1%) out of 1107 students completed the programme in one year and two years as planned because the programme was not repetitive and there were replacement costs. This high pass rate (94.1%) is an indication that the graduates did acquire knowledge and skills for provision of primary health care services. Data analysis from the self-administered questionnaires of the graduates also revealed that the graduates perceived that their knowledge and skills for provision of primary health care services have been strengthened because of the acquisition of the new knowledge in primary health care. This complemented the high academic performance of the graduates that the graduates knowledge and skills to deliver primary health care had been strengthened. Data analysis from the structured group interviews of the supervisors of the graduates further revealed that the supervisors perceived that the knowledge of the graduates in providing primary health care services in the hospitals and the district health teams had improved. The supervisors indicated that the graduates were now providing primary health care services with less supervision in the hospitals and the health districts. / Health Studies / D.Litt et Phil. (Health Studies)

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study seeks to document the emergence of programme evaluation in South Africa. The value of the study lies in the fact that no extensive study on the history of programme evaluation in South Africa has been undertaken before. In order to locate the study within an international context, the study commences with a description of how programme evaluation developed as a sub discipline of the social sciences in other countries. In terms of the South African context, the NGO sector, public sector and professionalisation of programme evaluation is considered. Through this study, it is proposed that the emergence of programme evaluation in South Africa is directly linked to donor activities in the NPO sector. This leads to a discussion of the advancement of monitoring and evaluation in the public sector – specifically the role played by government in institutionalising monitoring and evaluation. Finally, the professionalisation of the evaluation field is also included. The study commenced with a thorough document analysis to gather data on both the international context as well as the South African context. In terms of gathering data on South Africa, data on certain aspects of the emergence of programme evaluation was very limited. To augment the limited data on the local front, face to face and telephonic interviews were conducted. Through these conversations, valuable additional non-published resources and archaic documents were discovered and could be included in the study to produce a comprehensive picture of the emergence of programme evaluation in South Africa. A number of salient points emerge from the thesis. Firstly, there are both similarities and differences between the United States and the UK when considering the emergence of programme evaluation internationally. Secondly, South Africa followed a different trajectory to the USA and UK, where programme evaluation originated within government structures and was consequently a top down occurrence. In South Africa, programme evaluation emerged through donor activity and therefore occurred from the bottom up. Thirdly, in comparison to the US and UK, the South African government did not initially play a significant role in the advancement of monitoring and evaluation (M&E). However, it is within this sector that M&E became institutionalised in South Africa. Finally, the professionalisation and development of programme evaluation in South Africa can be attributed to the first generation evaluators of the 1990s. It is the critical thinking and initiative taken by these individuals that stimulated the field. It is hoped that this study will constitute only the first step into the documentation of programme evaluation’s history in South Africa as there are many areas where further investigation is still required. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die opkoms van program evaluering in Suid-Afrika. Die waarde van die studie is gekoppel aan die feit dat daar nog nie vantevore so ‘n uitgebreide studie rondom die geskiedenis van program evaluering onderneem is nie. Ten einde die studie binne ‘n internasionale konteks te plaas, word ‘n beskrywing gegee van hoe program evaluasie as ‘n subdissipline van die sosiale wetenskappe in ander lande ontwikkel het. In terme van die plaaslike konteks word die NPO sektor, die publieke sektor en die professionalisering van program evaluering ondersoek. ‘n Hipotese word voorgelê dat die opkoms van program evaluering in Suid- Afrika direk verwant hou met internasionale skenkerorganisasies se aktiwiteite in Suid-Afrika. Daarna volg ‘n bespreking van die groei van monitering en evaluering in die publieke sektor. Laastens word die professionalisering van die evaluasie domein ook bespreek. Die beginpunt van die studie was ‘n deeglike dokumentêre analise ten einde inligting in te samel oor die internasionale sowel as plaaslike konteks. In die geval van Suid-Afrika was die data baie beperk in sommige areas, veral rondom die geskiedenis van program evaluering. Ten einde die data aan te vul, is telefoniese en persoonlike onderhoude gevoer met sleutelpersone in die betrokke sektore. Deur die gesprekke is toegang verkry tot waardevolle addisionele ongepubliseerde bronne en historiese dokumente. Die ontdekking en insluiting van die dokumente verseker dat ‘n volledige beeld geskets word rondom die opkoms van program evaluering in Suid- Afrika. ‘n Aantal betekenisvolle bevindings volg vanuit die studie. Eerstens, daar is beide ooreenkomste en verskille in die manier wat program evaluering in Amerika en die Verenigde Koninkryk tot stand gekom het. Tweedens, Suid-Afrika volg ‘n verskillende perogatief in vergelyking met Amerika en die Verenigde Koninkryk waar program evaluering sy ontstaan binne die regering gehad het en ook deur die regering “afgedwing is”. In Suid-Afrika, kan program evaluering se opkoms in teenstelling daarmee direk gekoppel word aan die betrokkenheid van ‘n skenker organisasie. Derdens, in vergelyking met Amerika en die Verenigde Koninkryk het die Suid-Afrikaanse regering aanvanklik nie ‘n betekenisvolle rol gespeel in die vooruitgang van monitering en evaluering nie. Dit is egter noemenswaardig dat die publieke sektor die institusionalisering van monitering en evaluering teweegebring het. Laastens, kan die professionalisering en groei van program evaluering in Suid-Afrika grootliks toegeskryf word aan die bydrae van die eerste generasie evalueerders van die 1990s. Dit is grootliks die persone se bydrae in die vorme van kritiese denke en inisiatief wat die veld gestimuleer en bevorder het. Dit is my hoop dat hierdie studie gevolg sal word deur die voortdurende dokumentasie van die geskiedenis en verloop van program evaluering in Suid-Afrika.

A comprehensive programme evaluation can provide rational, credible data to support the decision to implement a new programme, to improve an existing one or to discontinue an ineffective one. The main aim of a formative evaluation is to offer suggestions for programme improvement. A qualitative study was conducted to explore how the introduction of a team effectiveness programme provided a process that individuals in the organisation were exposed to that linked the constructs of self-awareness and interpersonal sensitivity as a way to empower individuals with tools for effective team communication and collaboration. The main findings indicate that individuals who are more self-aware make an effort to understand and adapt their behaviour to accommodate others. By contrast, there are individuals who use this as a defence mechanism or as an excuse for not adapting their behaviour. The polar opposite results in a breakdown of trust, team cohesion and communication that counteracts the effectiveness of the programme. In the absence of effective leadership to drive and continually reinforce desired behaviour, the individual tends to revert back to old behavioural practices. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

<p>Mobbning är ett problem som framför allt finns i skolans miljö och som kan leda till allvarliga konsekvenser för alla inblandade. Då begreppet har olika definitioner, kan det dessutom vara svårt att upptäcka. Den svenska skolan är obligatorisk och det förebyggande arbetet mot mobbning som där bedrivs är därför viktigt. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur en skola definierar begreppet mobbning och om det påverkar det arbetssätt som används för att motverka mobbning. Undersökningen ägde rum på en grundskola med årskurserna F-6, där individuella intervjuer genomfördes med rektorn och två av skolans pedagoger. För att försäkra att de frågor som ställdes i undersökningen skulle bli besvarade, användes intervjumallar. Vid intervjuerna ställdes öppna frågor, då detta gav informanterna möjlighet till eftertanke. Resultatet visade att den undersökta skolan använde flera förebyggande åtgärder för att motverka mobbning och att informanterna hade samma grunddefinition av begreppet mobbning. Slutsatserna var att informanternas definition av begreppet mobbning hade viss inverkan på skolans förebyggande arbete och att personalens engagemang hade betydelse för det arbete som bedrevs.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Mobbning är ett problem som framför allt finns i skolans miljö och som kan leda till allvarliga konsekvenser för alla inblandade. Då begreppet har olika definitioner, kan det dessutom vara svårt att upptäcka. Den svenska skolan är obligatorisk och det förebyggande arbetet mot mobbning som där bedrivs är därför viktigt. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur en skola definierar begreppet mobbning och om det påverkar det arbetssätt som används för att motverka mobbning. Undersökningen ägde rum på en grundskola med årskurserna F-6, där individuella intervjuer genomfördes med rektorn och två av skolans pedagoger. För att försäkra att de frågor som ställdes i undersökningen skulle bli besvarade, användes intervjumallar. Vid intervjuerna ställdes öppna frågor, då detta gav informanterna möjlighet till eftertanke. Resultatet visade att den undersökta skolan använde flera förebyggande åtgärder för att motverka mobbning och att informanterna hade samma grunddefinition av begreppet mobbning. Slutsatserna var att informanternas definition av begreppet mobbning hade viss inverkan på skolans förebyggande arbete och att personalens engagemang hade betydelse för det arbete som bedrevs.