Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-190) / Abstract in English and Afrikaans / This study aimed to determine whether classroom climate or school climate is a greater predictor of emotional intelligence in South African primary school learners from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, as well as which factors promote and which inhibit its development. A purposive sample of 119 primary school learners from six classes in two government schools in Durban was obtained. The learners assessed their classroom climate with the My Class Inventory (short form) (MCI-SF), and their emotional intelligence with the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Child Short Form) (TEIQue-CSF). The six teachers assessed the school climate with the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ). Results suggest that classroom climate is a predictor of emotional intelligence while school climate is not; that satisfaction and cohesiveness positively correlate with emotional intelligence levels, and friction, competitiveness, and difficulty negatively correlate with emotional intelligence levels. The identified relationship between classroom climate factors and emotional intelligence warrants further research into the topic. / M.A. (Psychology) / Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om te bepaal of klaskamerklimaat of skoolklimaat 'n groter voorspeller van emosionele intelligensie by Suid-Afrikaanse laerskool leerlinge van Durban, Kwazulu-Natal is, asook watter faktore die ontwikkeling bevorder en watter die ontwikkeling daarvan belemmer. 'n Doelgerigte steekproef van 119 laerskool leerlinge van ses klasse in twee regering skole in Durban is verkry. Die leerlinge het hulle klasklimaat beoordeel met behulp van die ‘My Class Inventory (short form) (MCI-SF)’, en hulle emosionele intelligensie met die ‘Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Child Short Form) (TEIQue-CSF)’. Die ses onderwysers het die skoolklimaat beoordeel met die ‘School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)’.. Resultate dui daarop dat klasklimaat 'n voorspeller van emosionele intelligensie is terwyl skoolklimaat nie is nie; dat tevredenheid en samehorigheid positief korreleer met emosionele intelligensievlakke, en wrywing, mededingendheid en probleme negatief korreleer met emosionele intelligensievlakke. Die geïdentifiseerde verwantskap tussen klimaatfaktore in die klaskamer en emosionele intelligensie regverdig verdere navorsing oor die onderwerp. / Psychology

The UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic (2010:9-11), stated that for the estimated 33.3 million people living with HIV, sub-Saharan Africa has a staggering 22 500 000: South Africa having the highest figure of 5 600 000. The question arises: Why has HIV/AIDS spread faster in Africa than on any other continent, despite similar international strategies? The challenge in Africa is that several HIV/AIDS beliefs and misconceptions distorting management of HIV/AIDS. South African learners receive HIV/AIDS education from the school culture, community, government and the international community, whereas they should be partners in collaborative education: yet, they are not. The research finding indicated that for effective educational strategies, education managers should be aware of these different voices affecting HIV/AIDS education. Education managers should be the main voice in dealing with this menacing epidemic. Countries that have approached HIV/AIDS scientifically and speak with one voice successfully reduced their HIV/AIDS statistics. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

A positive learning environment is more important if students are considered to perform better in their schoolwork. The school environment the students attend mostly influences their performance. The school that each student attends sets its own pillars that promote students’ positive learning. This research study looks thoroughly at the schools climate, and socio-economic background of students. Most public schools have insufficient funds to run their day-to-day activities. One of the disturbing factor to promote learning environment is the class sizes are too big. The more funds a school receives, the better it performs because the school invests more in its resources. The teachers’ experience also contributes to students’ performance. Usually, the students who attend a school where more teachers have pastoral care tend to perform better. The research intended to investigate the causes and consequences of a school’s setting in promoting a positive learning environment and further discussed the benefit of positive learning environment in schools. The students’ success in their learning progress is determined by a positive learning and teaching environment. Generally, if there is a caring environment in the school set up, then that leads to the students obtaining good envisaged outcomes. The schools help the students achieve the good results, or alternatively, they could make the students fail. The students perform better in a positive learning environment that also is tantamount to personal student/teacher relationships. The findings of this study encourage the researcher to come up with new strategies that can be used to uplift the performance of students. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)

The study examines how the family, peers, and sociocultural environment at school in primary schools in South Africa perpetuated divergent gendered experiences among immigrant learners. A qualitative narrative inquiry was used during the study. Snowball sampling was used to select the participants for the study. The study drew on a narrative account of 27 participants, 18 immigrant children (9 girls and 9 boys) and nine teachers (6 women and 3 men) from three primary schools in the Johannesburg East District. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and observations were used as instruments to collect data from the participants. Collected data from the semi-structured, in-depth interviews and observations was analysed using thematic content analysis and was presented by using illustrative quotes. The study revealed that the school is a highly gendered place and serves to propagate gendered experiences among immigrant children in school between girls and boys. The findings of the study have significant implications for stake holders at all levels in education. It is recommended that school principals should ensure that teachers and administrators are familiar with both the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the school’s policies and regulations that address gender, sexual harassment, immigration issues, school violence, and bullying. Improved perception of immigrant children and gender quality in schools will contribute to a positive school environment which may lead to increased positive wellbeing and academic performance to all learners regardless of gender and country of origin. / Educational Studies / D. Phil. (Socio-Education)

This study was undertaken to determine whether a disrupted family life and school climate has an impact on the self-concept of the adolescent. This problem was tackled and investigated from different angles : factors within the home, factors outside the home, intrapsychic factors, interpersonal factors and school factors. An analysis of the above factors and their impact on the self-concept of the adolescent was done by means of measuring instruments in the form of a questionnaire. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more positive the family and school climate, the more positive the academic, social and emotional self-concept of the adolescent. The educational implications of the findings of the literature and the empirical study are discussed to assist teachers and parents to identify and eliminate factors that cause adolescents from disrupted families to underachieve and have negative self-concepts. / M.Ed. (Socio Education)

This study was undertaken to determine whether a disrupted family life and school climate has an impact on the self-concept of the adolescent. This problem was tackled and investigated from different angles : factors within the home, factors outside the home, intrapsychic factors, interpersonal factors and school factors. An analysis of the above factors and their impact on the self-concept of the adolescent was done by means of measuring instruments in the form of a questionnaire. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more positive the family and school climate, the more positive the academic, social and emotional self-concept of the adolescent. The educational implications of the findings of the literature and the empirical study are discussed to assist teachers and parents to identify and eliminate factors that cause adolescents from disrupted families to underachieve and have negative self-concepts. / M.Ed. (Socio Education)