M.A. (Applied Linguistics) / In chapter 1 it is stated that the problem of academic underachievement should be addressed in a scientific manner. It is postulated that a responsible approach would be to identify the needs of the learners in question i.e. students who follow graduate courses in Afrikaans. In the second chapter it is shown that a learner-centred approach dictates a needs analysis. Furthermore the influence of attitudes and motivation on second language study is discussed. Chapter 3 gives a short historical overview of the development of language teaching with some emphasis on the communicative approach. The empirical data is presented and discussed in chapter 4. In the last chapter conclusions are drawn and some recommendations are made. The aim of the study is to identify the needs of students of Afrikaans at Vista University. It is accepted that the identification of the needs of the learners is instrumental in the approach of the aforementioned problem. The information was gleaned by an opinion survey which was completed by all third year students of Afrikaans. The data revealed that almost all students aim to teach Afrikaans to black children and they expect the courses to equip them for that. They also want to improve their communicative ability in Afrikaans. They are well . motivated(integrated motivation) to reach their goals. The learners are positive about the courses but they feel, however, that the courses are too" technicaI" and that they often find it difficult to identify with the "view of 1ife" portrayed in the 1iterature texts.

This thesis reports on a critical, ethnographic investigation into the reading practices of a group of 14 foundation year students at Rhodes University in 2002. The university had identified all the student-participants as 'underprepared' for university learning: they were from poor, socio-economic backgrounds, used English as an additional language, and had been educated in township or rural schools. Using the Socio-cultural model of literacy (Heath, 1984; Gee, 1990 & Street, 1993), the study explores the culturally-shaped attitudes and assumptions about reading that the students brought with them into a tertiary learning context from their homes, communities and schools. It reports on their subsequent efforts to become academic readers in the disciplinary context of History. Framing Theory (Reid and MacLachlan, 1994) was employed to analyse the kinds of matches and mismatches that arose between the students' frames about the nature and purpose of reading, and those implicitly accepted as normative by teachers in the History department. It accounts for the students' difficulties in achieving epistemological access in terms of a conflict of frames: both the students and their teachers usually failed to recognise each others' constructions about the nature and purpose of 'reading for a degree'. The study'S critical purpose required that its potential for generating emancipatory consequences needed to be investigated. Thus the study reports on how both sets of participants began to reframe their understanding of academic reading, by describing the ways in which they reflected on the findings in the final stages of the research process. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

The purpose of this investigation was to determine sociopoli tical factors related to students' attitude towards school. A questionnaire was compiled based on the literature study and was completed by 306 students doing standards eight, nine and ten at a secondary school in Benoni. Five socio-political factors were identified, namely: school experience, extrinsic motivation, pedagogical deprivation, political socialisation and school administration. The empirical study revealed: * A positive attitude towards school by the research group. * Significant correlations between attitude towards school and the five independent variables. * No significant difference in attitude towards school of: boys and girls, standard eight, nine and ten students and students staying with parents or with guardians. * The maximum variance in attitude towards school explained by a combination of variables is 43.2%. Recommendations are made for the enrichment of the family and school environments and areas of possible future research postulated. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The notion of inclusion refers to one of the normative ideals that may be used as a means to promote justice in a democracy. Equally so, the norm of inclusion is capable of exploring the legitimacy of the democratic processes set up for the promotion of equity and redress. The implication thereof is that the notion of inclusion is also an adequate measure for monitoring whether processes practised by polities do embrace the norms of recognition, redistribution, empowerment and justice as we come to understand them within the broader concept of inclusion. Grounded in the theory of inclusion and democracy, this study is set against the backdrop of momentous political changes in South Africa that set the tone for transformation in higher education, amongst other democratic changes. Higher education institutions, alongside all other South African polities, introduced new open policies chock-full of democratic ideals to promote equity so as to ensure that those who previously suffered the injustice of being excluded from gaining entry to higher education are able to access it. Based on this understanding, this study has been conducted from a conceptual point of view to investigate the approach by which two historically advantaged institutions in the Western Cape have conceptualised the inclusion of black students from impoverished schools into their institutions. I have also examined how these institutions articulate their support programmes to keep these students in the higher education system. University policy documents such as admissions policies, financial aid policies, student diversity and equity policies, and student retention and throughput rate provided information for interpretation and data analysis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die idee van insluiting verwys na een van die normatiewe ideale wat gebruik kan word om geregtigheid in ‟n demokrasie te bevorder. Net so het die norm van insluiting die vermoë om die regmatigheid van die demokratiese prosesse wat ingestel is vir die bevordering van regverdigheid en herstel (redress) te ondersoek. Die implikasie hiervan is dat die idee van insluiting ook ‟n voldoende maatstaf is om te kontroleer of die prosesse wat deur politieke eenhede uitgevoer word, die norme van herkenning, herverdeling, bemagtiging en geregtigheid omhels soos ons hulle binne die breër konsep van insluiting verstaan. Begrond in die teorie van insluiting en demokrasie staan hierdie studie teen die agtergrond van gewigtige politieke verandering in Suid-Afrika wat die toon gestel het vir transformasie in hoër onderwys, onder ander demokratiese veranderinge. Hoëronderwysinstellings, tesame met alle ander Suid-Afrikaanse staatsbestel, het nuwe, oop beleide propvol demokratiese ideale bekend gestel om regverdigheid te bevorder om sodoende te verseker dat die wat voorheen onder die ongeregtigheid van uit hoër onderwys uitgesluit te wees, gelei het, nou toegang daartoe kan kry. Gebaseer op dié verstandhouding is hierdie studie vanuit ‟n konseptuele oogpunt onderneem om ondersoek in te stel na die benadering van twee histories bevoordeelde instellings in die Wes-Kaap tot hulle konseptualisering van die insluiting van swart studente uit arm skole in hulle instellings. Ek het ook ondersoek hoe hierdie instellings hulle ondersteuningsprogramme verwoord om hierdie studente in die hoëronderwysstelsel te behou. Die universiteite se beleidsdokumente, soos toelatingsbeleide, finansiële hulp beleide, studentediversiteits- en regverdigheidsbeleide, en studentebehoud- en deursetkoerse, het inligting verskaf vir die doeleindes van interpretasie en analise.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine sociopoli tical factors related to students' attitude towards school. A questionnaire was compiled based on the literature study and was completed by 306 students doing standards eight, nine and ten at a secondary school in Benoni. Five socio-political factors were identified, namely: school experience, extrinsic motivation, pedagogical deprivation, political socialisation and school administration. The empirical study revealed: * A positive attitude towards school by the research group. * Significant correlations between attitude towards school and the five independent variables. * No significant difference in attitude towards school of: boys and girls, standard eight, nine and ten students and students staying with parents or with guardians. * The maximum variance in attitude towards school explained by a combination of variables is 43.2%. Recommendations are made for the enrichment of the family and school environments and areas of possible future research postulated. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of learner dropout in secondary schools around Johannesburg South, Gauteng Province. Twenty-seven participants from three secondary schools in Orange Farm area were purposively sampled for the study. A qualitative design was used. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data to allow the researcher a platform to ask open-response questions and to explore the participants’ perspectives about the causes of learner dropout. The data was analysed thematically by carefully identifying and describing significant themes that emerged from educators, learners, parents, SGB chairpersons and principal’s responses to interview questions. The study revealed that teenage pregnancy, lack of parental involvement, substance abuse and peer pressure, among others, were the causes of learner dropout. The study recommends that schools put more efforts on abstinence programs, sex education and the use of contraceptives such as condoms, pills and injectables; training of educators on the management of drugs and pregnancy, and resuscitation of extra-mural activities. Recommendations for further research were made. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

As female adolescents go through the transition phase of adolescence, they respond to a variety of factors influencing their sexual development, for instance, cultural practices, socioeconomic status, media exposure, internet access, increased autonomy to explore their sexuality, as well as quality of care, guidance and supervision by primary caregivers. If they do not get enough guidance from caregivers, teachers or medical clinics, adolescents often fall pregnant. The consequences of unexpected pregnancies prove to be negative on intrapersonal as well as interpersonal levels. There is a need to reduce such pregnancies to give adolescents a better chance in life and to enhance optimal development on individual, social, emotional and moral levels. This study explored female adolescents’ experiences and perceptions of teenage pregnancy in Belfast, Mpumalanga, in South Africa. The researcher tried to make a positive contribution towards reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy in South Africa, especially in rural, farm and semi-urban settings, through an inductive study of African female adolescents in selected secondary schools. Data were collected through individual in-depth audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with 20 African adolescent girls who were purposefully selected for the study. The researcher used Tesch’s method of analysis to analyse the data collected and to deduce themes and categories. Adolescents mostly fell pregnant, because of changes in sexual interest, emotional experiences, social development dynamics, adolescent thinking patterns and failure to use contraceptives. Teenage pregnancy affected the life-world of adolescents by influencing negatively on their physical health, psycho-emotional wellbeing, moral behaviour, social and school lives. The researcher established that the adolescents, their families, communities and society would continue to face the adverse outcomes of teenage pregnancy if the rates of teenage pregnancy remained unabated. The study therefore recommended collaborative efforts of adults in various governmental and private spheres for prevention of teenage pregnancy and for support of adolescent mothers and their babies during and after early-unexpected pregnancies. Some of the recommendations were: national awareness campaigns to curb teenage pregnancies; the review of the Life Orientation curriculum by the Department of Basic Education; the re-orientation of health delivery services; the positive inputs of teachers and schools; and a re-orientation of the responsibilities of primary caregivers and other adults / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of learner dropout in secondary schools around Johannesburg South, Gauteng Province. Twenty-seven participants from three secondary schools in Orange Farm area were purposively sampled for the study. A qualitative design was used. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data to allow the researcher a platform to ask open-response questions and to explore the participants’ perspectives about the causes of learner dropout. The data was analysed thematically by carefully identifying and describing significant themes that emerged from educators, learners, parents, SGB chairpersons and principal’s responses to interview questions. The study revealed that teenage pregnancy, lack of parental involvement, substance abuse and peer pressure, among others, were the causes of learner dropout. The study recommends that schools put more efforts on abstinence programs, sex education and the use of contraceptives such as condoms, pills and injectables; training of educators on the management of drugs and pregnancy, and resuscitation of extra-mural activities. Recommendations for further research were made. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

This study investigates language varieties, non-verbal behaviour and language attitudes as cultural barriers which inhibit successful communication between Blacks and Indians at Durban Institute of Technology. The investigation reveals that Indians and Blacks often misunderstand each other. Sometimes these groups feel misunderstood because they use different varieties of English. To compensate for these differences, participants use non-verbal strategies. However, non-verbal behaviour is culturally determined and people tend to transfer it to intercultural situations. One finds that this transfer leads to miscommunication and negative stereotypes. Furthermore, non verbal behaviour which does not meet the politeness criteria leads to negative attitudes and strained relations amongst peers and supervisors. The study suggests these solutions: the introduction of intercultural awareness campaigns for all employees and Zulu conversational skills for all Indians. For the whole South African community, the spirit of ubuntu should be cultivated between all racial groups to foster mutual respect. / Sociolinguistics / M.A.

Transformation of the higher education system has come under the spotlight recently. At the core of this debate are issues pertaining to access and throughput rates at universities. Although access has improved significantly, throughput rates remain relatively low especially amongst black students (Council on Higher Education, 2017). The current study aims to explore the learning experiences and academic performance of postgraduate black students at the university of South Africa. Through a qualitative approach that included interviews, a phenomenological research design and critical race theory to gain an insiders perspective. This approach is chosen for its ability to generate rich descriptive and interpretive accounts of events based on the participant’s narratives. The findings revealed that the variation in learning experiences and academic performance was accounted for by background factors rather than student’s own intellectual or academic competencies. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology with specialisation in Research Consultation)