M.Cur. (Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing) / Die doel van hierdie studie is om te bepaal of ondersteuningsgroepe aan ouers met verstandelik vertraagde kinders 'n positiewe uitwerking het op die ouers se funksionering binne die gesin. 'n Eksperimentele ondersoek is gedoen met tien gesinne wat voldoen het aan kriteria vir seleksie. Hierdie tien gesinne het bestaan uit vier enkelouergesinne en ses twee-ouergesinne. Hierdie proefpersone moes ten minste een verstandelik vertraagde kind op skool he, met ander woorde, hy/sy moes opleibaar wees; hulle moes binne die Potchefstroomse woongebied en/of distrik woonagtig wees en hulle moes skriftelik toestemming gee tot vrywillige bywoning van die ondersteuningsgroepe wat aangebied is. Alle proefpersone is deur middel van gestratifiseerde steekproefneming ewekansig getrek en in 'n eksperimentele groep van agt ouers, en 'n kontrolegroep van agt ouers, geplaas. Die eksperimentele groep het agt sessies ondersteuningsgroepe ontvang waar doelstellings en verwagtings deur die ouers met verstandelik vertraagde kinders, opgestel is met leiding deur die groepsleier. Die sessies het tweemaal per week vir vier weke lank geskied. Die kontrolegroep het 'n inligtingstuk oor ondersteuning ontvang wat self deurgewerk moes word oor ~ tydperk van vier weke om die Hawthorne-effek te minimiseer. Onverstaanbare terminologie is deur die navorser verduidelik.

The study made a comparative examination of the role of Community Policing in conflict management in the North West Province, with special reference to Mafikeng and Potchefstroom as case studies. The study found that, the competing values such as diversity in income, education, religion , experience, residential location, social class, race, gender, culture, influx of illegal immigrants, competition for limited resources due to power struggles, and poverty among different sections of the communities. These actors complicated the task of developing a shared vision of democratic community policing. They also made communication for managing conflict between the police and the community members difficult. The study recommends: first, the need to develop mechanisms to promote awareness among community members on the importance of community policing in conflict management including crime prevention. This is an integral part of promoting peace building for community sustainable development, second, the promotion of effective partnership between community and the police which should include mutual trust and information sharing between community members and the police. / M.A. (PSIS) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

An exploratory, descriptive design in the phenomenological approach was used to describe and explore how student tutors' experienced the process of evaluation of their clinical teaching in a specific distance-learning programme. The researcher conducted a tape-recorded focus group interview with seven participants who voluntarily agreed to participate. After transcription, the data was analysed using Tesch's (1992:92) method of analysis to code the data into themes in order to identify commonalities. The findings of this study indicated that participants experienced the evaluation process positively and negatively. The negative experiences included difficulty in obtaining access to evaluators, practica facilities, and inconsistencies of evaluators. Recommendations were made for improving evaluation of teaching skills of student tutors in this distance programme. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct a study. In-depth individual phenomenological interviews with students purposively selected were conducted. Data saturation was reached after interviewing eight students. The following categories emerged: the participants experienced problem-based learning (PBL) as challenging, problematic group collaboration and cohesion, PBL as a good strategy. The challenges experienced included: unfamiliarity with the strategy, inadequate resources in the library, inaccessible computer laboratories because of limited space and operational hours, time pressures and overload. Clinical learning is not given adequate attention and some professional nurses in the clinical areas are not supportive to the university students as compared to college students. Positive conclusions about PBL include that students need the strategy as it promoted critical thinking, improved communication and presentation skills, helped teamwork and learning from others. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)

A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct a study. In-depth individual phenomenological interviews with students purposively selected were conducted. Data saturation was reached after interviewing eight students. The following categories emerged: the participants experienced problem-based learning (PBL) as challenging, problematic group collaboration and cohesion, PBL as a good strategy. The challenges experienced included: unfamiliarity with the strategy, inadequate resources in the library, inaccessible computer laboratories because of limited space and operational hours, time pressures and overload. Clinical learning is not given adequate attention and some professional nurses in the clinical areas are not supportive to the university students as compared to college students. Positive conclusions about PBL include that students need the strategy as it promoted critical thinking, improved communication and presentation skills, helped teamwork and learning from others. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)

An exploratory, descriptive design in the phenomenological approach was used to describe and explore how student tutors' experienced the process of evaluation of their clinical teaching in a specific distance-learning programme. The researcher conducted a tape-recorded focus group interview with seven participants who voluntarily agreed to participate. After transcription, the data was analysed using Tesch's (1992:92) method of analysis to code the data into themes in order to identify commonalities. The findings of this study indicated that participants experienced the evaluation process positively and negatively. The negative experiences included difficulty in obtaining access to evaluators, practica facilities, and inconsistencies of evaluators. Recommendations were made for improving evaluation of teaching skills of student tutors in this distance programme. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

Early reading instruction and identification of learners with reading problems prevent reading difficulties in the Intermediate Phase. The specific aim of this study is to explore the role of the Intermediate Phase educator to assess the learners’ reading skills by using observation and assessment activities, in order to identify learners with reading problems. The literature study on reading activities explored the letters of the alphabet, phonemic awareness, spelling, word- recognition, assessment and word-knowledge. The qualitative research was conducted empirically in the form of a case study of one learner from the South African public primary school based in Ikageng location, Potchefstroom. The role of the Intermediate Phase educator is to develop and administer the reading activities, observe a learner when he or she recites; writes and identifies the letters of the alphabet; segment words to show his or her phonological awareness skill; spell words in the dictation test including any written activity; and reads aloud the single written words to test his or her word recognition ability. The themes that emerged from the empirical study are as follows: difficulty in sequencing written letters of the alphabet, inability to segment words, spelling problems and word recognition problems. The study indicated that the participant’s reading problems are based on an inability to decode single words. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Educational Psychology)

Early reading instruction and identification of learners with reading problems prevent reading difficulties in the Intermediate Phase. The specific aim of this study is to explore the role of the Intermediate Phase educator to assess the learners’ reading skills by using observation and assessment activities, in order to identify learners with reading problems. The literature study on reading activities explored the letters of the alphabet, phonemic awareness, spelling, word- recognition, assessment and word-knowledge. The qualitative research was conducted empirically in the form of a case study of one learner from the South African public primary school based in Ikageng location, Potchefstroom. The role of the Intermediate Phase educator is to develop and administer the reading activities, observe a learner when he or she recites; writes and identifies the letters of the alphabet; segment words to show his or her phonological awareness skill; spell words in the dictation test including any written activity; and reads aloud the single written words to test his or her word recognition ability. The themes that emerged from the empirical study are as follows: difficulty in sequencing written letters of the alphabet, inability to segment words, spelling problems and word recognition problems. The study indicated that the participant’s reading problems are based on an inability to decode single words. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Educational Psychology)