Text in Afrikaans / During the initial stages of Gestalt play therapy qualitative assessment is vital within the therapeutic relationship, to gain information about the child in order to strengthen this relationship, enhance awareness and for further interventions. Research confirmed the lack and problems with current assessment tools, within various helping professions, which were addressed in this study. The board game, as a Gestalt assessment tool, was compiled for the primary school child and focuses on the therapeutic relationship, sensory stimulation and the process of the child (Schoeman-3-aspect model). Information was gathered by a literature review, semi structured interviews with two professionals and by observing the application of the board game. Valuable information was gathered concerning the child and was strengthened by literature. Relevant conclusions and recommendations were made. This board game can be effectively used by play therapists in the initial stages of assessment with the primary school child, for relationship building, sensory stimulation and determining the child's process. / Social Work / M.Diac.

The diploma thesis Cross-curricular Links Matching Proposed Curriculum for Lower Primary School deals with an issue of cross-curricular links and their usage in Maths teaching. The thesis is divided into a theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part provides an analysis of issues of cross-curricular links and curriculum integration, it introduces The Framework Educational Programme for Basic Education, characterises a curriculum of Maths and its application and other areas of education with which a link within the practical part was implemented. It also summarises important features of a Middle Primary School child and it surveys a quality of cross-curricular links usage in contemporary textbooks of Maths. The practical part contains a set of exercises that combine curricula of two areas to apply the cross-curricular links which are intended for practical usage in teaching at Lower Primary School, and evaluating part that describes and evaluates a practical course of implementation.

The primary aim of this research was to determine whether the home environment of secondary school children has an influence on their academic performance. A literature study was done where the major aspects of the home environment were identified: family lifestyle, parental involvement and attitude, physical living conditions. An analysis of academic performance and the factors affecting it was done. A measuring instrument was developed in order to measure the home environment in terms of being positive or negative. The results of the empirical research indicated that while home environment and age do play a significant role in the academic performance of secondary school children, gender, maternal employment, and whether the child lives permanently with both parents, did not. The educational implications of the findings and the teacher's role are discussed, and guidelines regarding the development of a home environment conducive to better academic performance are given. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The urgency of research in the field of child sexual abuse has inspired most efforts to be concentrated on treatment and counselling. An important objective of this study was to show that equal importance should be directed towards the identification, causes, effects and prevention of child sexual abuse. It became evident from the literature study that the catastrophe of child sexual abuse can be reduced if teachers, especially primary school teachers,. are professionally trained to identify, protect, prevent, report, support and guide the sexually abused child or possible victims of child sexual abuse. An empirical study to determine the importance of the role of the primary school teacher in dealing with child sexual abuse has been conducted. The results and the educational implications of the findings are discussed and finally guidelines are given to assist primary school teachers in their task of giving support and guidance to the sexually abused child. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die primere skoolkind bevind horn in 'n fase van groot verandering wat aanpassings verg en hoe eise stel. Die ervaringe wat die kind gedurende hierdie tydperk opdoen, is beduidend omdat dit sy vormingsjare is. Omdat die kind nie altyd kan verbaliseer watter probleme hy ervaar nie, is met hierdie studie gepoog om vas te stel of skooltekeninge van enige diagnostiese waarde kan wees om die kind in nood te verstaan. Die empiriese studie het bewys dat skooltekeninge nie net waarde as 'n identifiseringsmedium inhou nie, maar ook as 'n aanvullende ortopedagogiese medium aangewend kan word. Die kind neig om sy probleme, persepsies, houdings en so meer visueel te projekteer. Hoewel hierdie studie bevindinge van vroeere navorsing bevestig, is bepaalde verskille ook geidentifiseer. Die studie is afgesluit met riglyne vir die gebruik van skooltekeninge, asook aanbevelings met die oog op die verfyning van hierdie projeksiemedium. / The primary school child finds himself in a phase of great change which makes high demands and requires adjustments. What happens to the child during these years is critical because these are foundation laying years. Because a child is not always able to verbalise problems which he may experience, this study is an . endeavour to determine whether school drawings have any diagnostic value to identify a child in need. The empirical study has confirmed that school drawings have diagnostic value not only as a medium of identification, but also as a supplementary orthopedagogical medium. The child· tends to project his problems, perceptions and attitude visually. Although this study confirms findings of previous studies, certain differences were also identified. The study was concluded with guidelines for the use of school drawings, as well as recommendations regarding the refinement of this projection medium. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (met spesialisering in Voorligting)

The phenomenon of aggression has been of interest to psychologists for many years, and has resulted in a variety of theories which-attempt to explain its existence in man. Aggression is prevalent in our primary schools today and it was this observation which initiated the research project. The Relationship Theory was applied in order to gain insight into the life-world of the aggressive child and to explore possible causes which may originate from changes in our society. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling (Psychology of Education)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die dood van 'n ouer he! 'n effek op die totale lewe van die kind en dompel die kind in emosionele nood wat terapeutiese begeleiding noodsaak. Na afloop van die afsterwe van 'n ouer, vind daar fisieke, emosionele, sosiale en kognitiewe veranderinge in die kind se lewe plaas waarop hy nie voorbereid is nie, en wat hy ook nie verstaan nie. Hierdie veranderinge veroorsaak dat die kind se leefwereld in so mate verander dat sy funksionering benadeel word. Daar is met hierdie studie gepoog om vas te stel watter effek die dood van 'n ouer op die kind he! en tot watter mate terapeutiese begeleiding die kind se emosionele nood kan verlig. Daar is in die studie gevind dat rou inderdaad 'n gekompliseerde proses is wat lei tot die ontstaan van talle onbeantwoorde vrae, gevoelens van magteloosheid en emosionele pyn. Kinders wat in rousmart verkeer word dikwels deur die samelewing misgekyk en kry as gevolg hiervan nie voldoende hulp nie. Di! lei tot die ontstaan van persoonlikheidsontwikkelingsprobleme, relasionele probleme en intra-psigiese probleme soos 'n swak selfbeeld, ego-verdedigingsmeganismes, persoonlike kwesbaarheid, ongunstige betekenisgewing en ongunstige belewenisse. Hierdie probleme veroorsaak dat die kind in sy selfaktualisering gerem word en as gevolg hiervan nie sy gegewe moontlikhede verwerklik nie. Die studie het verder bewys dat die kind wat 'n ouer aan die dood afgestaan het, wel deur middel van terapeutiese begeleiding deur 'n sielkundige gehelp kan word om die verlies van 'n ouer in so 'n mate te hanteer dat die faktore wat die kind se selfaktualisering rem, opgehef kan word. Die studie voorsien die sielkundige van riglyne ten opsigte van die proses van terapeutiese begeleiding aan die kind wat 'n ouer aan die dood afgestaan het. Riglyne word gebied ten opsigte van die hantering van die kind se onmiddellike situasie, die evaluasie van die kind-inrousmart, die vasstelling van doelstellings en doelwitte vir terapeutiese begeleiding, die selektering van terapeutiese tegnieke, die terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die kind, die hulpverlening aan die oorblywende ouer en die hulpverlening aan die onderwyser wat gemoeid is met die kind-in-rousmart. Riglyne word ook gebied ten opsigte van die terminering van terapie. / The death if a parent has an influence on the total life of a child and causes emotional trauma that necessitates therapeutic guidance. After the death of a parent, physical, emotional, social and cognitive changes occur in the child's life for which he is not prepared and that he also does not understand. These factors cause such a change in the child's life-world that his functioning is hampered. In this study it was endeavoured to determine what effect the death of a parent has on a child's life and to what extent therapeutic guidance can alleviate the child's emotional trauma. In this study it was found that mourning is indeed a complicated process that gives rise to countless unanswered questions, feelings of helplessness and emotional pain. Children suffering grief in mourning are often ignored by society and as result of this, they do not receive adequate assistance. This leads to problems concerned with the development of the personality, relational problems and intrapsychological problems such as a poor self-concept, ego defence mechanisms, personal vulnerability, negative ways of acquiring meaning and unfavourable ways of experiencing life. These problems give rise to the hampering of the child's selfactualisation and because of this he cannot realise his potential. The study has furthermore proved that the child who has lost a parent through death, can be helped by a psychologist. This can be done by means of therapeutic guidance so that the child can handle the loss of a parent to such an extent that the factors that hamper his self-actualisation can be removed. The study provides guidelines for therapeutic guidance to the child who has Jost a parent through death. Guidelines are given on handling the child's immediate situation, the evaluation of the child in mourning, the determination of aims and objectives for therapeutic guidance, the selection of therapeutic techniques, therapeutic assistance to the child, assistance to the remaining parent and assistance to the educator who is involved with the child in mourning. Guidelines are also given for the termination of therapy. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Clinical Psychologist)

The aim of this study was to critically examine the role and function of emotions in primary school children's meaningful learning. Emotions that are commonly experienced by primary school children were identified and an indication was given of how they relate to meaningful learning. Factors that affect both emotions and meaningful learning were also discussed. In an empirical investigation that was undertaken, it was found that emotions influence meaningful learning of primary school children either positively or negatively. The following emotions pointed to both positive and negative significant correlations with regard to meaningful learning: anger, aggression, anxiety, fear, love, joy and affection. Factors like family size, gender and the environment (life world of primary school children) also influence meaningful learning. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed.(Psychology of Education)

Suspension of the school attendance is a current problem due to prepared changes within the school act. Since the validity of the new Shool Act No.561/2004 coll. in 2005, the child at the age of six in the current school year must enter the compulsory school attendance unless suspension is permitted. The child at the age of six within the period of the beginning of the school year and the end of the calendar year may be adopted for the compulsory school attendance under certain circumstances even in this school year. There are lots of discussions performed by society, professionals or politicians about the earlier or later initiation of the school attendance. Since 90th in the last century the number of the suspensions of the school attendance has increased. Parents ask for suspension more often than in the past and the suspension is proposed and realized at one fifth of the children in the current school year. This means that the demands on children at the beginning of the shcool year are increasing and that parents have realized their responsibility for the success of their child. The beginning of the school attendance is a very important moment in the life of their child and no rush is necessary. In my thesis I investigated diagnostics of the school maturity used in the Czech Republic, mainly in the pedagogical-psychological counselling centres, posibilities of non mature functions development, leaflets and advices for parents and programmes used in the counselling centres. In my thesis I dealt with general problems of the pre-school child development and the assessment of the school maturity non-professional and professional in the pedagogical-psychological counselling centres. I summarized basic abbilities from each area which should be adopted by the child before the beginning of the school attendance, what should parents notice and also testing methods and materials used for the examination at the pedagogical-psychological counselling centres. In my research part I focused on the families with pre-school children asking for suspension of school attendance.

The present thesis summarises information about today's kindergarten, about its important curriculum policy documents and about the main participants of its educational process - the teacher and the pre-school children. It deals with the school climate and with its influencing factors, focusing on the work climate in kindergartens, namely on human relations, communication and its risks. This thesis maps and evaluates kindergarten teachers' perception of the social and work climate and what they find prominent, how the school/class climate quality influences kindergarten teachers' work performance, what sort of factors encourage the optimal climate and what sort of factors curb it. It aims to verify the functioning of teachers' pedagogical cooperation in classroom curriculum development and the functioning of collective activities in kindergarten. KEYWORDS Kindergarten, kindergarten teacher, pre-school child, social and work climate in kindergarten, relations, communication and risks in kindergarten.