M.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Ed. ( Educational Psychology) / The purpose of this study, and the planned contribution to research, is to design and develop a training module with the purpose of filling an existing gap in the field of the education of M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) students. Programme development has been applied in order to design and develop the training module in a formative and summative manner. The research paradigm of the study is of a qualitative nature. Qualitative research and the results thereof are expressed in words rather than in numbers. Methods of data collection that were used include questionnaires, observation and interviews. The data-analysis techniques of Miles and Huberman (1994) were used including data reduction, data display and conclusions. Interviews were transcribed and data-analysis was done by catagorising data into semantic units, presenting the results in the form of dendrograms. Questionnaires were integrated as a method of triangulation. A five-point scale was used to gauge students' perception of the training module. Sufficient provision was made for qualitative remarks by students. The framework for development of Thomas (1984), Rothman (1980) and Nel (1992), as well as the curricular requirements according to Kroger (1980) and Knowles (1984), was used in the development of this training programme.. This comprised. four phases, namely an analysis of the situation, followed by the design, development and evaluation of the course. The phases ran as follows: The analysis phase During the analysis phase, the current situation was analyzed regarding the training problem and the state of existing programmes. It was found that a need for training in bibliotherapy exists among educational psychologists. Educational psychologists receive no meaningful or adequate training with regard to bibliotherapy at any South African university ...

The aim of this study was to investigate guidelines for the educational psychologist in the assessment of foundation phase mathematics. The investigation takes place in the light of Outcomes-based education, which is a new practice of education in South Africa, within the paradigm of post-modernism. Outcomes-based education framed within the National Curriculum Statement, has necessitated far-reaching changes in education and assessment alike. Educational psychology has not been untouched and the field has had to re-look its approach to assessment. Therefore, it has been necessary for educational psychologists in South Africa to develop an approach to the assessment of foundation phase mathematics that will yield credible information in order to support the learner in the best way possible. Educational psychologists have tended to use standardised mathematics tests and IQ tests exclusively when assessing foundation phase learners in mathematics. But, the emphasis of an educational psychological assessment is moving from, not only discovering the learner’s IQ score and the grade or age level that they function at mathematically but also, to question ‘why’ the specific learner is not making progress, ‘what’ the learner can or can’t do, and from the teacher’s point of view, ‘how’ the child can best be helped. This can be achieved by making use of the curriculum as the starting point for the assessment and then assessing each task using an approach which encompasses a dynamic and assetbased approach, where the assessor seeks to understand the learner's areas of personal strength and assets in mathematics. A qualitative interpretivistic design was used in this study. The research methods employed were a literature search of existing literature including mathematics documents, a focus-group interview with foundation teachers from a local primary school, an interview with a lecturer of educational psychological assessment and an incomplete-sentences questionnaire completed by second year masters’ degree students in the educational psychology programme─ both at the University of Johannesburg. A content analysis of two documents─ the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) (2002) and the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000), an American mathematics curriculum─ revealed that the NCS (2002) seems to be based, because of the similarities and at times the exactness of content, on the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000) The value of the process undertaken was that both the documents provide insight into how curriculum-based assessment could be carried out. The constant comparative method of analysis was used to analyse the focus group interview, the individual interview and the incomplete questionnaires. The findings confirm that the changes in education have impacted on educational psychologists’ ‘medical model’ approach to assessment and on the way in which they have been used to working. Educational psychologists’ when carrying out an assessment should aim to ascertain how much an individual has learnt and whether support for learning is required. They should use a variety of assessment tools which should result in a comprehensive understanding of the learner resulting in feedback and a report that is meaningful to teachers and parents. / Dr. Elzette Fritz Mrs. Raine Pettipher

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / This study investigates the first year of education and training of students enrolled for. the M.Ed. degree in Educational Psychology with the view to describing and also explaining pertinent problems and processes of professional development, especially with regard to reflective practitioning and the role of experiential learning. The rationale for the investigation was involved from major policy documents which addresses the issue of knowledge and the novice practitioner in the dynamic and challenging milieu of reconstruction and development in South African education. The report of the study commences with a theory framework in which reflective practitioning, experiential learning and professional development are explicated. An important distinction in the literature review is the two main emphases in professional training, namely the normative professional curriculum and the dialectic professional curriculum. Both the theory of reflective practitioning and experiential learning are viewed as exponents of the dialectic curriculum in which contemporary theory of constructivism as view of learning is embedded. In this view a reflective practitioner is considered a lifelong self evaluative learner. In conjunction with the perspective of reflection in practice, experiential learning is viewed as potential knowledge. Rounding off the literature review, various models of reflective practitioning are included emphasising the role of the facilitator as guide and as leader. The theory framework is complemented by a chapter on the design of the field study, substantiating the choice of the format and methods of data collection and analyses with views from the body of knowledge on qualitative research. The field investigation is reported in the ensuing chapters presenting examples of data collection and analyses procedures.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The inclusive education shift, in South Africa, has caused classroom teachers to take on many more responsibilities than was expected from them in previous years. These increased expectations, stress and anxiety becomes heavy burdens and has a negative influence on teacher well-being. Factors such as the emotionally intense working environment, lack of time, space and resources, as well as student misbehaviour has a great negative impact on the classroom environment and the teacher‘s inner self. As this study is focused on the grade 9 classroom teacher, adolescence and misbehaviour within this developmental stage was investigated. From this investigation, passive aggression was identified as one of the main culprits of student misbehaviour when considering grade 9 learners. As this type of behaviour affects the teaching environment and is problematic for classroom management, it was found that this has a negative influence on teacher well-being. This study, therefore, aimed investigating the role of the educational psychologist, as a member of the School Based Support Team in supporting teacher well-being in classrooms where teachers are exposed to passive aggressive behaviour shown by grade 9 learners. The theoretical framework on which this research study was based, was Bronfenbrenner‘s bio-ecological systems theory. This theory emphasizes the influence that different systems have on each other, which is very important when working within the school community. An interpertive research paradigm was selected. The research approach employed within this study is qualitative. Participants were purposefully selected, from one school in the Gauteng education system. The methods used for data collection were written reflective notes, semi-structured individual interviews and qualitative content analysis was used in order to analyse the data collected. The research findings indicated that grade 9 classroom teachers have difficulty in effectively managing passive aggressive behaviour displayed by learners in their classrooms. Furthermore, it was also found that teachers perceive support, within the school, to be more focused on learners and that the support rendered is not always applicable for these teachers. This suggests that the educational psychologist, together with school management and classroom teachers should work together to emphasize support to be rendered to classroom teachers. Therefore, teacher well-being, which is a very important aspect of the teaching environment, could be supported and catered for.

M.Phil. (Industrial Psychology) / The objective of this study was to determine the psychologist-lawyer dynamics, prevalent in the psycho-legal activities of industrial psychologists. In order to reach this objective, repertory grid interviews were conducted with 10 participants, all of whom were industrial psychologists experienced in psycho-legal activities. During the interviews, the participants were asked to contrast their experiences in terms of the psychologist-lawyer dynamics, by eliciting similarities and differences between the psycho-legal cases which they identified. From the contrasts obtained in the interviews, the data were analysed in three consecutive stages, namely eyeball analysis, bootstrapping analysis, and the interpretation and sense-making of the themes. In the first stage of analysis, the repertory grids of the participants were scanned holistically to identify personal constructs. In the second stage of analysis, the personal constructs were categorised into themes, based on a process of continual scrutiny for similarities. During the final stage of analysis, the seven themes, categorised from the personal constructs of the participants, were interpreted and made sense of by using relevant literature on forensic psychology. The seven themes categorised from the data were: differing scientific worldviews of industrial psychologists and lawyers, the power differential in the psychologist-lawyer relationship, motives of the instructing lawyer, structure of the psychologist-lawyer relationship, the industrial psychologist's fees, objectivity of the industrial psychologist, and ethical principles in psycho-legal activities. Based on the seven themes, recommendations are made to important stakeholders such as industrial psychologists, the Professional Board for Psychology, lawyers instructing industrial psychologists, and universities. Furthermore, important limitations of this study are noted, from where recommendations for future research are made. Recommendations for stakeholders and future research in terms of the psychologist-lawyer dynamics in industrial psychologists’ psycho-legal activities are aimed at mediating the interdisciplinary and inter-professional dynamics between industrial psychologists and lawyers, in order to aid the sustained practice of industrial psychologists’ psycho-legal activities.

D.Ed. / The goal of this study is to design a model that could guide and direct the educational psychologist in the facilitation of the client's self-knowledge for career management: The rationale of this study is based on the fact that previously the educational psychologist, as career counsellor, had to counsel within specific limiting boundaries. In terms of career counselling this meant that he simply guided the client to make the correct career choice. Career management was not considered by the educational psychologist as part and parcel of career counselling. The need for career management is reinforced by the view of the Gauteng Education Department that education in South Africa is seen as a process of lifelong education. Career counselling should therefore be conducted in such a way that it ensures lifelong dividends. Self-knowledge can be seen as the basis for career management. The educational psychologist should possess specific knowledge and skills in order to facilitate self-knowledge in such a way that a client is empowered to manage his own career in a changing career market. The main purpose of this study will therefore be: the, development and description of a model that could serve as a guide to the educational psychologist in the facilitation of a client's self-knovViedge in order to empower him to do career management. To be able to meet this goal the following sub-goals are set: the exploration and description of the concepts necessary for self-knowledge in order to do career management by means of a literature study; the generation of the provisional model; the evaluation and the refinement of the provisional model on the basis of recommendations made by the model development experts and peer group • the writing of a manual for educational psychologists regarding the operationalisation of the final model. The execution of the development of the model will be discussed in three phases. During phase one the model is developed and described by means of a literature research. The model is functional, therefore the survey list of Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968:435), is used to identify and classify the concepts in the study. A concept analysis of the central concept "self-knowledge for career management" is performed and a theoretical definition is:formulated. During phase one the main concepts and their relationships to the central concept are described in the form of relational statements. These statements do not only highlight the relationship between the concepts, but also lay a sound foundation for the conceptual framework on which the provisional model "self-knowledge for career management" is based. During phase two the provisional model is evaluated and refined by model development experts and the peer group. According to the r,ecommendations and the relevant critique, the model is refined and the final model described. The final model describes the structure of the model, as well as the process to facilitate self-knowledge for career management. During phase three a manual is written on how to operationalise the model, which serves as a guideline to the educational psychologist.

AFRIKAANS: Sedert die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in Suid-Afrika in 1994 het die Suid¬Afrikaanse Polisiediens voortdurende transformasie ondergaan. Misdaad, traumatisering en selfmoord van polisiebeamptes het toegeneem. Die werkslading en eise aan die professionele hulpdienste (sielkundiges, maatskaplike werkers, kapelane) in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens het dienooreenkomstig verhoog. Hierdie studie is ‘n eksploratiewe ondersoek by 'n aantal sielkundiges in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens oor die verskynsel van psigiese uitbranding. Hierdie is die eerste studie oor psigiese uitbranding by sielkundiges in die organisasie. Die meeste outeurs beskou psigiese uitbranding as 'n verskynsel wat met die werksomgewing geassosieer word en spesifiek met die professionele rol van hulpverlening. Die Iiteratuurstudie oor psigiese uitbranding toon egter dat die term vir 'n groot verskeidenheid prosesse, simptome, definisies, oorsake, fases en gevolge gebruik word. Verskeie outeurs wys op die alomvattende en nie-kritiese gebruik van die term, asook die gebrekkige geïntegreerde teoretiese fundering in die veld. Groepanalise dien as 'n integrerende teoretiese raamwerk en die data is verkry deur die k1eingroep as basis vir 'n tweedaagse groepanalitiese werkwinkel te gebruik. Sielkundiges van verskeie geografiese streke in Suid¬Afrika het die werkwinkel vrywillig bygewoon. 'n Ondersoeksituasie is aan die einde van die werkwinkel geskep waar ongestruktureerde vrae gebruik is. 'n Fenomenologiese benadering tot die ondersoeksituasie en data-analise is gebruik. Die navorsingsresultate is beskrywend en toon dat psigiese uitbranding 'n ervaringsrealiteit by sielkundiges in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens is. Die kleingroep as data-genererende konteks, die navorsingsvrae en die vrye gespreksformaat het tot refleksie oor individuele ervarings, kleingroepervarings, asook grootgroep- en sosiale realiteite gelei. Die wederkerigheid tussen die genoemde ervarings en die self in verhouding tot verskeie aspekte dien as 'n beskrywende raamwerk vir die resultate. Die analisering oor die refleksie van die sosiale realiteit in die navorsing toon dat sielkundiges die organisasie en die sosiale konteks as traumaties ervaar en sekondêr getraumatiseer word deur met polisielede te werk. Die organisasiesisteem en die organisasie-as-geheel dra by tot ervarings van traumatisering. Dit maak die fondasie matriks uit waar getraumatiseerde individuele en groepsprosesse manifesteer en geregresseerde en primitiewe funksioneringseienskappe, ongeïntegreerdheid en angs openbaar word. Die studie toon dat die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens as transisionele en getraumatiseerde konteks tot 'n toestand van sosiale immobilisasie en paralise lei wat sosiale ontwikkeling, dialoog en kommunikasie beperk. Die potensiaal van die organisasie as grootgroep om tot integrasie by te dra, word deur hierdie prosesse ingeperk en inhibeer groei en transformasie. ENGLISH: Since the first democratic general election in South Africa in 1994, the South African Police Service, as an organisation, has undergone continual transformation. The level of crime, traumatisation and suicide of police officials have increased since then. The workload and demands on the helping professions (psychologists, social workers and chaplains) have increased accordingly. This study is an explorative investigation into the phenomenon of psychological burnout and the manifestation of this burnout among a number of psychologists employed by the South African Police Service. This is the first study involving psychological burnout that has been undertaken among psychologists in this organisation. Most authors view psychological burnout as a phenomenon that is associated with the work environment and specifically with the professional role of those rendering assistance. The literature dealing with psychological burnout, however, reveals that the term is used for a variety of processes, symptoms, definitions, causes, phases and consequences. Various authors have pointed out both the all-inclusive and non-critical use of the term as well as the lack of an integrated theoretical grounding in the specific field. Group analysis served as an integrating theoretical framework and the data was obtained by using the small group as a basis for a two-day group analytical workshop. Psychologists attended the workshop on a voluntary basis from various geographical regions in South Africa. An investigative situation, using unstructured questions, was created at the conclusion of the workshop. A phenomenological approach to the investigative situation and data-analysis were utilised in the research. The research results are descriptive and reveal that psychological burnout occurs among the psychologists. The small group (as a• data-generating context), the research questions and the format of exploration led to reflection on individual experiences, small and large group experiences as well as social realities. The mutuality between the aforementioned experiences as well as the self in various relations serves as a descriptive framework for results. An analysis of the reflection on social reality in the research firstly reveals that the psychologists experience the organisation and the social context as traumatic and secondly that the psychologists are traumatised by working with police officials. The organisation system and the organisation-as-a-whole, contribute to traumatic experiences. This comprises the foundation matrix in which traumatised individual and group related processes manifest, and primitive and regressed qualities, lack of integration and anxiety are revealed. The study reveals that the transition and traumatising context in the South African Police Service lead to a condition of social immobilisation and paralysis, which limits social development, dialogue and communication. These processes restrict the potential of the organisation as large group to assist in integration and this in turn inhibits growth and transformation. / Thesis (PhD (Psychotherapy))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted

The journey towards becoming a counselling psychologist, in South Africa, includes the completion a 12 month internship. The internship year holds many challenges and demands for novice professionals and aims to assist them in making the transition from student to professional. This study aims to explore the subjective experiences of intern counselling psychologists and the critical incidents which assist them in making this transition. In addition, it aims to identify experiences impacting on the interns’ professional development and professional identity. Three registered counselling psychologists, who completed their internship at a South African university counselling centre within the last year, were recruited and participated in individual interviews. These interviews were semi-structured and followed the Critical Incident Technique method. Each interview was voice recorded and transcribed. The data collected was analysed using thematic content analysis. As the research design is qualitative, using a phenomenological approach, the focus is on presenting information-rich and detailed descriptions of participants “lived” experiences of their internship year. It attempts to understand significant incidents or events which influenced the participants’ professional and personal development as they navigate through this ambiguous period to become independent and ethical practitioners. Four predominant themes emerged from the data collected, which include a discussion pertaining to professional boundaries and limitations, learning within the internship environment, the effects of professional and personal support and, lastly, the transition from dependent to independent professional functioning.

This research aimed to trace the development of psychologists as therapists within a South African context. Two distinct career levels were explored in relation to a competency model, a skills development model, and a developmental phase model of psychotherapists' professional development. Through purposive sampling five intern psychologists and six registered psychologists with at least seven years post-qualification client contact were selected according to the inclusion criteria of the study. Through semi-structured interviews, couched in the social constructionist position, the participants' experiences were thematically analysed. In addition, the researcher's own personal journey of developing as a psychotherapist was reflected upon. The current research study found that a number of aspects fostered the development of psychotherapists. Across the two career levels the life experiences of participants particularly featured events that were personally wounding or placed the participant in the helper role. The theoretical orientation(s) of participants were voiced as influential in their development, yet the ability to adjust their theoretical orientation to clients' needs was of overriding importance. Participants emphasised forming a strong therapeutic relationship with clients as the centrepiece of psychotherapy and depicted the therapeutic process using diverse metaphors. No key differences in use of metaphors emerged between intern and established psychologists. Catalysts for professional growth included personal therapy, "unforgettable cases", group supervision and, in the case of established psychologists, continuing professional development workshops. xiii Shifts in competency were recognised by intern psychologists as they gained more experience, namely, dissolution of naivety, a decrease in anxiety regarding their clinical work, a greater flexibility in the therapeutic process, a decreased sense of inappropriate responsibility for clients' progress, and an ongoing process of negotiating the interface of their personal and professional lives. Established psychologists spoke of having gained more confidence through their years of practice and yet experienced moments of anxiety which they found fostered humility. Limitations of the study and potential future research directions were outlined.