This research is about the enhancement of the Grade 1 learner's social and emotional development through a music support programme. The aim of this research was to determine how a music support programme could enhance the social and emotional development of Grade 1 learners through a music support programme. To achieve this goal, data were gathered through a literature study and empirical study. The empirical study was performed by way of semi constructed interviews with the Grade 1 learners' teacher to assemble the empirical data. The results indicated that the Grade 1 learners manifested social and emotional difficulties and that the music support programme was effective for those learners' social and emotional development. Recommendations from the study include: • schools should consider a music support programme on a permanent basis. • The community must be introduced to the music support programme because the concept is still unknown. • To help children with social-emotional behavioural problems, schools can raise a fund that will help these learners to develop through a music support programme. • Schools and/or a music support presenter can give parental guidance and can set up a programme for parents. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

There are few instructional tasks more important than teaching children to read. The consequences of low achievement in reading are costly both to individuals and society. Low achievement in literacy correlates with high rates of school drop-out, poverty, and underemployment. The far-reaching effects of literacy achievement have heightened the interest of educators and non-educators alike in the teaching of reading. Successful efforts to improve reading achievement emphasise identification and implementation of evidence-based practices that promote high rates of achievement when used in classrooms by teachers with diverse instructional styles with children who have diverse instructional needs and interests. Being able to recognise what characterises rigorous evidence-based reading instruction is essential to choosing the right reading curriculum (i.e., what method or approach). It will be necessary to ensure that general classroom reading instruction is of universally high quality and that practitioners are prepared to effectively implement validated reading interventions. When educators are not familiar with research methodologies and findings, national and provincial departments of education may find themselves implementing fads or incomplete findings. The choice of method of instruction is very often based on empirical research studies. The selection of statistical procedures is an integral part of the research process. Statistical significance testing is a prominent feature of data analysis in language learning studies and also specifically, reading instruction studies. For many years, methodologists have debated what statistical significance testing means and how it should be used in the interpretation of substantive results. Researchers have long placed a premium on the use of statistical significance testing. However, criticisms of the statistical significance testing procedure are prevalent and occur across many scientific disciplines. Critics of statistical significance tests have made several suggestions, with the underlying theme being for researchers to examine and interpret their data carefully and thoroughly, rather than relying solely upon p values in determining which results are important enough to examine further and report in journals. Specific suggestions include the use of effect sizes, confidence intervals, and power. The purpose of this study was to: determine what the state of affairs is with regard to statistical significance testing in reading instruction research, with specific reference to post-1999 literature (post-I999 literature was selected because of the specific request, made by Wilkinson and the Task Force on Statistical Inference in 1999, to include the reporting of effect sizes in empirical research studies); determine what the criticisms as well as the defences are that have been offered for statistical significance testing; determine what the alternatives or supplements are to statistical significance testing in reading instruction research; To provide a framework for the most effective and appropriate selection, use and representation of statistical significance testing in the reading instruction research field. A comprehensive survey on the use of statistical significance testing, as manifested in randomly selected journals, was undertaken. Six journals (i.e., System, Language Learning and Technology, The Reading Matrix, Scientific Studies of Reading, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESL-EJ); South African Journal for Language Teaching) regularly including articles related to reading instruction research and publishing articles reporting statistical analyses, were reviewed and analysed. All articles in these journals from 2000-2005, employing statistical analyses were reviewed and analysed. The data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency counts and percentages). Qualitative reporting was also utilized. A review of six readily accessible (online) journals publishing research on reading instruction indicated that researchers/authors rely very heavily on statistical significance testing and very seldom, if ever, report effect size/effect magnitude or confidence interval measures when documenting their results. A review of the literature indicates that null hypothesis significance testing has been and is a controversial method of extracting information from experimental data and of guiding the formation of scientific conclusions. Several alternatives or complements to null hypothesis significance testing, namely effect sizes, confidence intervals and power analysis have been suggested. The following central theoretical statement was formulated for this study: Statistical significance tests should be supplemented with accurate reports of effect size, power analyses and confidence intervals in reading research studies. In addition, quantitative studies, utilising statistics as stated in the previous sentence, should be supplemented with qualitative studies in order to obtain a more comprehensive picture of reading instruction research. Research indicates that no single study ever establishes a programme or practice as effective; moreover it is the convergence of evidence from a variety of study designs that is ultimately scientifically convincing. When evaluating studies and claims of evidence, educators must not determine whether the study is quantitative or qualitative in nature, but rather if the study meets the standards of scientific research. The proposed framework presented in this study consists of three main parts, namely, part one focuses on the study's description of the intervention and the random assignment process, part two focuses on the study's collection of data and part three focuses on the study's reporting of results, specifically the statistical reporting of the results. / Thesis (Ph.D. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Rehabilitation centres in Mpumalanga recently experienced a sharp increase in the admission of younger patients for the treatment of alcohol and drug dependence. This phenomenon gives rise to the question of the prevalence and awareness of substance abuse, as well as the awareness of substance abuse prevention programmes in secondary schools in Mpumalanga. By investigating learners‘ awareness of drugs, the role their parents play in educating them, as well as the availability of prevention programmes, recommendations could be made regarding prevention and prevention programmes. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The aim of this research was to determine the role of the school principal in fostering the creativity and innovativeness of educators. This aim was explored by: determining the nature of creativity and innovativeness; determining the role of the principal in fostering the creativity and innovativeness of educators at schools; and investigating how the creativity and innovativeness of educators is currently fostered at schools. The literature survey on the nature of creativity and innovativeness revealed creativity as the generation of novel and useful ideas and the ability to combine them in a unique way, while innovativeness is the ability to be innovative, i.e. to implement creative outcomes to benefit an organisation or the practical application of ideas towards the organisation's objectives. Creativity and innovativeness can thus be fostered by creating a stimulating work environment that advocates enriched jobs and supporting management practices, an organisational culture that supports innovativeness and an environment that provides adequate resources. Therefore, creativity and innovativeness are a function of an organisational climate that promotes nine dimensions, namely, challenge and involvement, freedom, trust and openness, idea time, idea support, debate, risk-taking, conflict management and humour and playfulness. The empirical survey found that school-organisational climates generally foster educators' creativity and innovativeness in terms of the dimension thereof.-How it was found that some dimensions enjoy more prevalence at schools than others. It was also found that some aspects of these dimensions were inconsistent with the general finding that schools portray climates conducive to educators' creativity and innovativeness. For instance, the involvement of educators in vision review as a way of setting standards or as a pace-setter for performance, and educators having to seek permission before implementing their creative ideas were seen as not fostering creativity and innovativeness at schools. Although there were statistical differences in responses between principals and educators on all creativity and innovativeness dimensions, it was found that these were of no practical significance and thus could be attributed to chance or coincidence. This study therefore recommends that principals should adopt a holistic approach to school organisational creativity and innovativeness. In this way, all the dimensions will be fostered, thus creating school organizational climates that engender the creativity and innovativeness of all educators and focusing on all aspects of their work. Principals should also receive capacity building exercises, initiated both at school and at departmental levels. These exercises should focus on staff development that relates creativity and innovativeness to the achievement of teaching and learning outcomes. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2005.

This research is about the enhancement of the Grade 1 learner's social and emotional development through a music support programme. The aim of this research was to determine how a music support programme could enhance the social and emotional development of Grade 1 learners through a music support programme. To achieve this goal, data were gathered through a literature study and empirical study. The empirical study was performed by way of semi constructed interviews with the Grade 1 learners' teacher to assemble the empirical data. The results indicated that the Grade 1 learners manifested social and emotional difficulties and that the music support programme was effective for those learners' social and emotional development. Recommendations from the study include: • schools should consider a music support programme on a permanent basis. • The community must be introduced to the music support programme because the concept is still unknown. • To help children with social-emotional behavioural problems, schools can raise a fund that will help these learners to develop through a music support programme. • Schools and/or a music support presenter can give parental guidance and can set up a programme for parents. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

There are few instructional tasks more important than teaching children to read. The consequences of low achievement in reading are costly both to individuals and society. Low achievement in literacy correlates with high rates of school drop-out, poverty, and underemployment. The far-reaching effects of literacy achievement have heightened the interest of educators and non-educators alike in the teaching of reading. Successful efforts to improve reading achievement emphasise identification and implementation of evidence-based practices that promote high rates of achievement when used in classrooms by teachers with diverse instructional styles with children who have diverse instructional needs and interests. Being able to recognise what characterises rigorous evidence-based reading instruction is essential to choosing the right reading curriculum (i.e., what method or approach). It will be necessary to ensure that general classroom reading instruction is of universally high quality and that practitioners are prepared to effectively implement validated reading interventions. When educators are not familiar with research methodologies and findings, national and provincial departments of education may find themselves implementing fads or incomplete findings. The choice of method of instruction is very often based on empirical research studies. The selection of statistical procedures is an integral part of the research process. Statistical significance testing is a prominent feature of data analysis in language learning studies and also specifically, reading instruction studies. For many years, methodologists have debated what statistical significance testing means and how it should be used in the interpretation of substantive results. Researchers have long placed a premium on the use of statistical significance testing. However, criticisms of the statistical significance testing procedure are prevalent and occur across many scientific disciplines. Critics of statistical significance tests have made several suggestions, with the underlying theme being for researchers to examine and interpret their data carefully and thoroughly, rather than relying solely upon p values in determining which results are important enough to examine further and report in journals. Specific suggestions include the use of effect sizes, confidence intervals, and power. The purpose of this study was to: determine what the state of affairs is with regard to statistical significance testing in reading instruction research, with specific reference to post-1999 literature (post-I999 literature was selected because of the specific request, made by Wilkinson and the Task Force on Statistical Inference in 1999, to include the reporting of effect sizes in empirical research studies); determine what the criticisms as well as the defences are that have been offered for statistical significance testing; determine what the alternatives or supplements are to statistical significance testing in reading instruction research; To provide a framework for the most effective and appropriate selection, use and representation of statistical significance testing in the reading instruction research field. A comprehensive survey on the use of statistical significance testing, as manifested in randomly selected journals, was undertaken. Six journals (i.e., System, Language Learning and Technology, The Reading Matrix, Scientific Studies of Reading, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESL-EJ); South African Journal for Language Teaching) regularly including articles related to reading instruction research and publishing articles reporting statistical analyses, were reviewed and analysed. All articles in these journals from 2000-2005, employing statistical analyses were reviewed and analysed. The data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency counts and percentages). Qualitative reporting was also utilized. A review of six readily accessible (online) journals publishing research on reading instruction indicated that researchers/authors rely very heavily on statistical significance testing and very seldom, if ever, report effect size/effect magnitude or confidence interval measures when documenting their results. A review of the literature indicates that null hypothesis significance testing has been and is a controversial method of extracting information from experimental data and of guiding the formation of scientific conclusions. Several alternatives or complements to null hypothesis significance testing, namely effect sizes, confidence intervals and power analysis have been suggested. The following central theoretical statement was formulated for this study: Statistical significance tests should be supplemented with accurate reports of effect size, power analyses and confidence intervals in reading research studies. In addition, quantitative studies, utilising statistics as stated in the previous sentence, should be supplemented with qualitative studies in order to obtain a more comprehensive picture of reading instruction research. Research indicates that no single study ever establishes a programme or practice as effective; moreover it is the convergence of evidence from a variety of study designs that is ultimately scientifically convincing. When evaluating studies and claims of evidence, educators must not determine whether the study is quantitative or qualitative in nature, but rather if the study meets the standards of scientific research. The proposed framework presented in this study consists of three main parts, namely, part one focuses on the study's description of the intervention and the random assignment process, part two focuses on the study's collection of data and part three focuses on the study's reporting of results, specifically the statistical reporting of the results. / Thesis (Ph.D. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Rehabilitation centres in Mpumalanga recently experienced a sharp increase in the admission of younger patients for the treatment of alcohol and drug dependence. This phenomenon gives rise to the question of the prevalence and awareness of substance abuse, as well as the awareness of substance abuse prevention programmes in secondary schools in Mpumalanga. By investigating learners‘ awareness of drugs, the role their parents play in educating them, as well as the availability of prevention programmes, recommendations could be made regarding prevention and prevention programmes. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This thesis is a comparative case study of induction programmes from five different countries: Britain, Australia, New Zealand, United States, and Canada. The intent was to investigate pedagogical and structural factors prevailing within these induction programmes that would encourage the confluence of pre-service, induction, and in-service education. An examination of how these induction programmes might enhance ongoing professional development opportunities for the beginning teacher was also undertaken. Based on a review of literature concerning i) issues, parameters, and pedagogical perspectives of teacher education; ii) the socialization experiences and instructional challenges of beginning teachers; and iii) the processes, academic systems, and programme variations of induction the argument is made that many conflicting and complex pedagogical variables as well as historical, cultural, and educational factors may influence the establishment and institutionalization of induction. A qualitative research methodology was employed using naturalistic inquiry techniques within a case and field study design. Data was derived from interviews, extant documentations, field notes, and evaluation summaries over a three-year period. Documented evidence revealed that no two induction programmes were iden'tical, although various academic, governance and organisational factors did indicate similarities within and among various countries. Confluence of the three stages of teacher education were generally absent from most programmes. Teacher assessment and supervision were identified as important strategies that could either enhance or obstruct professional development among beginning teachers. Self-evaluative activities incorporated as basic teacher assessment procedures were also profiled as critical factors in promoting a selfdirected beginning teacher. From these findings an identification of five distinguishable paradiams of induction were developed. The five models have been categorized as the laissez-faire model, the Collegial model, the formalized mentor-protege model, the mandated competency-based model, and the self-directing professional model. The latter was absent from the induction programmes that were investigated. Thirteen recommendations were proposed based upon the research findings. Twelve recommendations described how induction may enhance the confluence of teacher education as well as how induction may establish continuous development for beginning teachers. A thirteepnrtohf essionarel commendation identified how programme efficacy may be achieved within induction.