published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Youth employability in South Africa has become an important focus for career counsellors. This study investigated the relationship between the employability (as measured by the Southern African Employability Inventory) and emotional intelligence (as measured by the Assessing Emotions Scale) of individuals within the school-to-work transition phase. A random sample of 590 Grade 9 and Grade 12 further education and post-school (recently exited) students from a total population of 1349 participated in the study. The research findings indicated that participants’ level of employability is significantly related to their emotional intelligence. Recommendations are postulated for the career counselling of individuals in the school-to-work career transition phase. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This study proceeds from the assumption that art as a creative modality, is capable of deepening the individual's awareness of the self and the manner in which he communicates and forms relationships with his self as well as with significant others. This assumption is supported by references to personality theory which is essentially client-centred in origin. The study describes and assesses the value of art as a therapy for the emotionally troubled adolescent, focusing on the process rather than the product. The results would indicate that art is therapeutic as the cathartic experience allows the graphic image to speak in symbolic language for the client, allowing the therapist to observe the client's psychic relationships and his coming to terms with his self. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This research focuses on the relationship between self-esteem, graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability among young adults in the school-to-work transition phase to assist them in dealing with the transitions they are faced with during the school-to-work transition phase in the hopes of making them more career adaptable and employable. A cross-sectional quantitative research approach was followed, and a non-probability convenience sample (N = 332) of undergraduate black (98.5%) and female (62%) young emerging adults (18 to 29 years) at a Further Education and Training (FET) college in South Africa participated in the study. A canonical correlation analysis indicated a significant overall relationship between the graduateness/self-esteem canonical variate and the career adaptability canonical variate. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the relationship between graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability was moderated by self-esteem. Tests for mean differences revealed that males and females differed significantly regarding their personal self-esteem and lie items. Recommendations are suggested for use by human resource professionals in terms of career development practices. / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 provided seed monies to educational institutions, if they were willing to form collaborative partnerships with members of the business and employer communities. The goal was to build learning opportunities for students that would facilitate their seamless transition from the public school system into adult work-settings and/or places of post-secondary education, training, and skills acquisition. An historical case study of school reform was conducted, using qualitative research methods that included extensive field observations, participant interviews, document analysis, narrative inquiry strategies, phenomenological reflection and data reduction. The lived experiences of 23 students and 14 community partners were juxtaposed against the recollected memories of the teacher-researcher, and analyzed in the context of complex change theory (Ambrose, 1987). The point was to distill the essential themes that could shed light on the research question. Those factors that were deemed to be influential in the development, delivery, or efficacy of the learning opportunities that were created as curriculum interventions, in support of this one piece of federal legislation, are discussed analytically, so as to make recommendations for similar practical programs with a career-education or work-based learning focus.