A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / The family is a child‟s primary context for socialisation and may greatly affects a child‟s well-being negatively or positively. The family context might affect the child‟s entire life and also interferes with learning. Historically, families have been changing for ages due to social and economic factors, thus resulting in various family structures worldwide. It appears that a stable family structure is most conducive to a child‟s academic success whereas unstable family structure predicts academic problems. This situation seems to be a major obstacle to the quality of education. Thus, it was imperative for the researcher to undertake this study. The researcher reviewed different theories on how family structures may contribute to school-based problems. Over and above that, current study is underpinned by three theories, namely behaviouralism, system theory and Bandura‟s social learning theories. The objectives of the study were to ascertain the extent to which a relationship exists between selected family structures and school-based problems; to determine whether there was any association between school-based problems and the variables such as learners‟ age, learners‟ gender and learners‟ educational level, and to establish educators‟ recommendations so as to develop an intervention model. The mixed approach design was employed. A cluster sampling technique was used to randomly select 165 participants in six districts of KwaZulu-Natal province. The educators were requested to rate learners. A biographical questionnaire, the “Student Behaviour Survey” (SBS) and an open-ended questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. This implies that the SBS manual, thematic approach, Person Chi squire and Log-Linear analysis techniques were utilized to analyse data. A computer package known as Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) was also employed. The findings of the present study revealed that learners from KwaZulu-Natal schools experienced various problems due to the influence of their family background or family structures and learners‟ characteristics such as age, gender and educational level. The study also revealed that family structure was influential on the following problems: academic habits, interpersonal relations and emotional distress. Learners‟ age was found to be associated to conduct problems, interpersonal relations, social withdrawal, emotional distress, as well as physical aggression. Gender was found to have an impact on learners‟ health and social interactions. The study focused on nuclear, extended, single parent, child-headed, grand parenting, polygamous and divorced families. Finally, the model of intervention was developed. This model also aimed at introducing a school-based approach that will empower both parents and teachers to handle and prevent school-based or psychological problems among learners in different grades. These problems were found in a sample which was constituted of predominately African learners. The present study also reflected that there is a need of contributions from different specialists, including parents. Educational psychologist and other mental health professions should assist educators to implement the developed model and also play their role in changing and minimising the various problems faced by learners in KwaZulu-Natal schools, more especially in rural areas. The Department of Education should support all stakeholders with the resources needed to implement the proposed intervention model to improve the entire physical environment of the school, as well the infrastructure.

A model of family influences on the development of antisocial behavior and scholar problems in adolescents is presented. Two-hundred four students of junior and high school were assessed. Data were analyzed through a structural equation model. Results showed that child abuse, a no cooperative family and mothers' alcohol consumption had a direct effect on antisocial behavior,which in turn promoted delinquen behavior and negatively affected school grades of students. Delinquency and mothers' alcohol consumption had an influence on students' school problems,which could be partially overturned by their social abilities. Results suggest the necessity of counselling for families in arder to prevent school problems and bad grades in adolescents. / Se presenta un modelo de influencias familiares en el desarrollo de conducta antisocial, delictiva,rendimiento y problemas escolares en adolescentes. Doscientos cuatro estudiantes de educación secundaria y preparatoria fueron evaluados y sus respuestas se analizaron en un modelo estructural. Los resultados mostraron que el maltrato de los padres, el vivir en una familia no cooperativa y la ingesta de alcohol y drogas de la madre influía en el desarrollo de conducta antisocial, la cual promovía el comportamiento delictivo y afectaba negativamente el promedio escolar. La conducta delictiva y la ingesta de alcohol de la madre influían en los problemas escolares,los cuales podían ser parcialmente revertidos por las habilidades sociales de los jóvenes. Se observó la necesidad de orientación escolar a las familias para prevención.

Thesis in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die doel van hlerdie ondersoek is om die ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke oorsake van leermislukking met spesifieke verwysing na skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied te bepaal en om aanbevelings te doen hoe om leermislukking teen te werk. Leermislukking en druiping is onrusbarend hoog in skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied. Nadat die Ministerie van Onderwys die semi-outomatiese promoveringstelsel ingestel het, het druiping afgeneem maar leermislukking het toegeneem omdat leerders gepromoveer word sonder dat hulle sukses in die vorige graad behaal het. Volgens die literatuurstudie le die oorsake van leermislukking by die ouerhuis, die skool, die omgewing en in die leerder self. Die empiriese ondersoek toon ooreenkomste met die literatuurstudie wat betref die oorsake van leermislukking. Om die oorsake teen te werk - moet onderwysers beter opgelei word - moet die ouers meer bewus gemaak word van hulle rol in die leersukses van hulle kinders - is meer skoolgeboue en onderwysers nodig om kleiner klasse te bewerkstellig. / The purpose of this research is to establish the extrinsic and intrinsic causes of learning failure with specific reference to schools in the Windhoek municipal area and to make recommendations to counteract learning failure. Learning failure and grade failing are disconcertingly high in schools in the Windhoek municipal area. After the Ministry of Education implemented the semi-automatic promotion system, grade failing decreased, but learning failure increased because learners are promoted without achieving success in a prior grade. According to the literature study, the causes of learning failure are to be found in the home, the school, the environment, and the learner. Similarities regarding the causes of learning failure were found in the empirical investigation and the literature study. To counteract these causes • teachers should be better trained • parents should become more aware of their role in the learning success of their children • more school buildings and teachers are needed to limit class sizes.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om die ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke oorsake van leermislukking met spesifieke verwysing na skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied te bepaal en om aanbevelings te doen hoe om leermislukking teen te werk. Leermislukking en druiping is onrusbarend hoog in skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied. Nadat die Ministerie van Onderwys die semi-outomatiese promoveringstelsel ingestel het, het druiping afgeneem maar leermislukking het toegeneem omdat leerders gepromoveer word sander dat hulle sukses in die vorige graad behaal het. Volgens die literatuurstudie lê die oorsake van leermislukking by die ouerhuis, die skool, die omgewing en in die leerder self. Die empiriese ondersoek toon ooreenkomste met die literatuurstudie wat betref die oorsake van leermislukking. Om die oorsake teen te werk • moet onderwysers beter opgelei word • moet die ouers meer bewus gemaak word van hulle rot in die leersukses van hulle kinders. • is meer skoolgeboue en onderwysers nodig om kleiner klasse te bewerkstellig. / The purpose of this research is to establish the extrinsic and intrinsic causes of learning failure with specific reference to schools in the Windhoek municipal area and to make recommendations to counteract learning failure. Learning failure and grade failing are disconcertingly high in schools in the Windhoek municipal area. After the Ministry of Education implemented the semi-automatic promotion system, grade failing decreased, but learning failure increased because learners are promoted without achieving success in a prior grade. According to the literature study, the causes of learning failure are to be found in the home, the school, the environment, and the learner. Similarities regarding the causes of learning failure were found in the empirical investigation and the literature study. To counteract these causes • teachers should be better trained • parents should become more aware of their role in the learning success of their children • more school buildings and teachers are needed to limit class sizes. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Spesiale Behoeftes Onderwys)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om die ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke oorsake van leermislukking met spesifieke verwysing na skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied te bepaal en om aanbevelings te doen hoe om leermislukking teen te werk. Leermislukking en druiping is onrusbarend hoog in skole in die Windhoek stadsgebied. Nadat die Ministerie van Onderwys die semi-outomatiese promoveringstelsel ingestel het, het druiping afgeneem maar leermislukking het toegeneem omdat leerders gepromoveer word sander dat hulle sukses in die vorige graad behaal het. Volgens die literatuurstudie lê die oorsake van leermislukking by die ouerhuis, die skool, die omgewing en in die leerder self. Die empiriese ondersoek toon ooreenkomste met die literatuurstudie wat betref die oorsake van leermislukking. Om die oorsake teen te werk • moet onderwysers beter opgelei word • moet die ouers meer bewus gemaak word van hulle rot in die leersukses van hulle kinders. • is meer skoolgeboue en onderwysers nodig om kleiner klasse te bewerkstellig. / The purpose of this research is to establish the extrinsic and intrinsic causes of learning failure with specific reference to schools in the Windhoek municipal area and to make recommendations to counteract learning failure. Learning failure and grade failing are disconcertingly high in schools in the Windhoek municipal area. After the Ministry of Education implemented the semi-automatic promotion system, grade failing decreased, but learning failure increased because learners are promoted without achieving success in a prior grade. According to the literature study, the causes of learning failure are to be found in the home, the school, the environment, and the learner. Similarities regarding the causes of learning failure were found in the empirical investigation and the literature study. To counteract these causes • teachers should be better trained • parents should become more aware of their role in the learning success of their children • more school buildings and teachers are needed to limit class sizes. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Spesiale Behoeftes Onderwys)