Syftet med studien är att undersöka barnens inflytande i den barninitierade leken utifrån deras perspektiv för att uppmärksamma barnens inflytande i förskolans verksamhet. Frågeställningarna är; Vad uppfattar barn som barninitierad lek i förskolan? och Hur uppfattar barn sitt inflytande över den barninitierade leken? Den barninitierade leken innefattar att barnen fritt får styra sin egen lek utan pedagogers medverkan. Studien tar sitt avstamp i en fenomenografisk ansats, vilket innebär att ta del av individers uppfattningar om fenomen. Studien använder sig av semistrukturerade intervjuer med åtta verksamma förskolebarn i åldrarna tre till fem år. Resultatet och analysen är indelat i ett kategorisystem som presenterar barns uppfattningar om deras inflytande i den barninitierade leken utifrån åtta olika kategorier. Slutsatsen i studien visar att det finns olika betydelsefulla aspekter för den barninitierade leken. Däremot får barnen inte tillräckligt med inflytande för att kunna påverka leken eftersom det finns regler och rutiner, vilket barnen uttryckte att de vill få mer inflytande kring. / The purpose of the study is to investigate the children's influence in the child-initiated play from their perspective in order to draw attention to the children's influence in the preschool's activities. The questions are; What do children perceive as child-initiated play in preschool? and How do children perceive their influence over child-initiated play? The child-initiated play includes that the children can freely control their own play without the involvement of educators. The study is based on a phenomenographic approach, which means taking part in individuals' perceptions of phenomena. The study uses semi-structured interviews with eight active preschool children aged three to five years. The results and analysis are divided into a category system that presents children's perceptions of their influence in child-initiated play based on eight different categories. The conclusion of the study shows that there are various important aspects for child-initiated play. However, the children do not get enough influence to be able to influence the game because there are rules and routines, which the children expressed that they want to have more influence around.

The main aim of this study was to attempt to determine which factors that contribute to resilience are absent in adolescents who are considered to be ”at risk”. The research was undertaken with white adolescent learners between Grades 8 and 12, in a former Model-C secondary school. Several definitions of resilience, a historical view of resilience, the characteristics of a resilient adolescent, several definitions of adolescence, the stages and tasks of adolescence and who the adolescent is in psycho-educational terms, were explored. In this qualitative study, the Vulnerability Questionnaire and the Resilience Questionnaire were given to twelve educators who were requested to select the participants for the study. A qualitative assessment, using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure, was used to determine why certain adolescents are more resilient than others. Each participant also completed a collage which was analysed. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The main aim of this study was to attempt to determine which factors that contribute to resilience are absent in adolescents who are considered to be ”at risk”. The research was undertaken with white adolescent learners between Grades 8 and 12, in a former Model-C secondary school. Several definitions of resilience, a historical view of resilience, the characteristics of a resilient adolescent, several definitions of adolescence, the stages and tasks of adolescence and who the adolescent is in psycho-educational terms, were explored. In this qualitative study, the Vulnerability Questionnaire and the Resilience Questionnaire were given to twelve educators who were requested to select the participants for the study. A qualitative assessment, using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure, was used to determine why certain adolescents are more resilient than others. Each participant also completed a collage which was analysed. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The study focused on the role of the school management team in curriculum change management. Apart from a literature review, an empirical investigation based on a qualitative research paradigm involving semi-structured individual and focus group interviews was used to collect data at three secondary schools in the Tshilamba circuit in Limpopo Province. Literature findings revealed that although, in the first place, politically inclined the introduction of Curriculum 2005 was also steered by the socio-economic needs of the country. Empirical findings elicited that although managing curriculum changes was a challenging effort on account of an initial and continuous lack of adequate training, the school management teams of the selected schools were acquainted with significant knowledge and skills on curriculum change management. This pertains to lesson plan management, supporting and monitoring educators, managing the school register and timetable and managing school finances to select teaching and learning resources. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The study focused on the role of the school management team in curriculum change management. Apart from a literature review, an empirical investigation based on a qualitative research paradigm involving semi-structured individual and focus group interviews was used to collect data at three secondary schools in the Tshilamba circuit in Limpopo Province. Literature findings revealed that although, in the first place, politically inclined the introduction of Curriculum 2005 was also steered by the socio-economic needs of the country. Empirical findings elicited that although managing curriculum changes was a challenging effort on account of an initial and continuous lack of adequate training, the school management teams of the selected schools were acquainted with significant knowledge and skills on curriculum change management. This pertains to lesson plan management, supporting and monitoring educators, managing the school register and timetable and managing school finances to select teaching and learning resources. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the extent to which body maps could be implemented by educators as part of the fulfilment of their pastoral role. I approached the study from a constructivistinterpretivist perspective underpinned by action research principles. I implemented an instrumental case study as research design and selected a primary school located in an informal settlement community in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. Ten female educators at this school, three other members of a research team and I took part in the process of data generation. Having acquired baseline information during the first field visit, a fellow researcher and I implemented an intervention during which the techniques of body mapping and making memory boxes (the study focus of my fellow researcher) were introduced to the participants. We then requested them to apply the two techniques (as part of a research assignment) before we undertook a second field visit. At the second visit, we attempted to explore the participants' experiences during the application of the techniques. Throughout the study I relied on focus group discussions, observation, critical self-reflection, auditive methods, visual methods, photos, a reflective research journal and field notes as data collection and capture methods. I analysed and interpreted raw data thematically. Baseline information indicated that educators were quite clear about the theoretical nature of the pastoral role, yet the practical application of this role presented a challenge. Data generated after the intervention indicates how educators understood and used the body mapping technique. This theme was refined into subthemes dealing with implementation modes, application contexts and application outcomes of the body mapping technique. The second main theme indicated the applicability of body maps in the classroom context as part of the pastoral role. This theme comprises subthemes relating to general curricula, practical considerations, alternative uses and application modes, pastoral responsibilities that were facilitated (and not) by participants' use of the body mapping technique. Research findings therefore seem to indicate that the body mapping technique could be used by educators in fulfilling their pastoral role. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / MEd / unrestricted