published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The aim of this study was to demonstrate how postgraduate students cope with the stress induced while adjusting to the various proposal and research report writing phases they are involved in. It is further purported that difficulties in adjusting to the various proposal and research report writing phases and lack of support lead to students experiencing stress. The population consisted of 815 students enrolled for masters and doctoral programmes at Unisa for the 2012 academic year. This study employed the Stress and Support Questionnaire for University Students to determine the stress postgraduate students encountered while adjusting to the proposal and research report writing phases they were in. Furthermore, this questionnaire was also used to understand how these students use support as a coping mechanism. The various research hypotheses were tested using an explanatory mixed method research design. The population consisted of 815 students enrolled for masters and doctoral programmes at Unisa for the 2012 academic year. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Strata software and Microsoft Excel. Statistical analyses included tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests. The results demonstrated that students experience stress during the adjustment process to the various research report writing phases. However, masters students showed higher levels of stress while adjusting to the research report writing phases, compared with doctoral students. Some of the doctoral students reported that they felt fewer levels of stress, because they were already exposed to postgraduate studies and were aware of what is expected. Furthermore, students who reported feeling stress to a large extent indicated the reasons to be a lack of support from supervisors, delayed and insufficient feedback, lack of financial support, lack of social support, procrastination, and balancing work and studies. Some of the students iv indicated that they do not feel any stress at all because they have surrounded themselves with people who have travelled the path, and their environment is conducive to study. Support from colleagues at work, supervisors, friends and family have also shown to help students adjust to the research report writing phases of their programmes. Although some of the students indicated that they do not experience stress, it is imperative that interventions be designed for those students who do experience challenges when adjusting to the research report writing phases. / Psychology / MA (Psychology)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Stress is a complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon of which topical significance is given at present. The aim of this study was to focus on the influence of stress on academic performance of the young student. First, a comprehensive study of the literature was undertaken in order to arrive at an understanding of the foregoing. An overview of the nature, etiology and manifestation of stress, as well as how it is coped with, is offered. Special attention was devoted to factors that cause the young student to experience distress. In addition the way in which the personal actualisation of the young student occurs, was researched. From the research it appeared that owing to, among other things, the experiencing of distress and inadequate personal actualisation, some young students are in a situation involving need, which requires urgent and essential ortho-andragogic guidance. Consequently, the ortho-andragogic responsibility of rendering aid within the context of tertiary training was addressed. Lastly, an empirical investigation of the correlation between distress and particularised academically oriented issues was launched. Based on the findings and conclusions arrived at during the course of the study and investigations, recommendations have been made for future research. / Stres is 'n komplekse en veelvlakkige fenomeen wat in die huidige tydsgewrig van aktuele belang beskou word. Die doel van die studie is om die fokus te laat val op die invloed van stres op die akademiese prestasie van die jeugdige student. Ten einde tot begrip van die voorgaande te kom, is daar in eerste instansie 'n omvattende literatuurstudie onderneem. 'n Oorsig is gebied ten opsigte van die aard, etiologie, manifestering en bantering van stres. In die besonder is gelet op faktore wat aanleiding tot distresbelewing by die jeugdige student gee. Benewens die voorgaande, is die wyse waarop die persoonsvoltrekking van die jeugdige student geskied, nagevors. Uit die navorsing het dit geblyk dat sommige jeugdige studente vanwee onder meer distresbelewing en ontoereikende persoonsvoltrekking, in 'n noodsituasie verkeer, wat orto-andragogiese begeleiding noodsaaklik maak. Gevolglik is 'n blik op die orto-andragogiese aanspreeklikheid vir hulpverlening binne tersiere opleidingsverband gewerp. In laaste instansie is 'n empiriese ondersoek na die korrelasie tussen stres en verbesonderde akademiesgeorienteerde aangeleenthede geloods. Na aanleiding van die bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings waartoe daar in die loop van die studie en ondersoek gekom is, ls aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing gedoen. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Orthopedagogics)

This study explored the relationship between cultural mistrust level and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. It was hypothesized that Blacks with high levels of cultural mistrust, when compared to those with low levels, would show less favorable attitudes toward seeking formal help for psychological problems. Black students were administered the Cultural Mistrust Inventory, Help-Seeking Attitude Scale, Reid-Gundlach Social Service Satisfaction Scale, and Opinions About Mental Illness Scale. Using a 2 (gender) X 2 (mistrust level) MANCOVA, a main effect for the factor of mistrust level was found along with a mistrust level by gender interaction. Students with higher levels of cultural mistrust were found to hold less favorable attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help when compared to students with lower levels of cultural mistrust.

Many factors are present in the teaching and learning environment that could influence students’ motivation positively or negatively. This study explores and describes the factors influencing motivation of nursing students in order to identify student support strategies to enhance motivation in the teaching and learning environment. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design was used. The accessible population was all final-year students registered for the certificate leading to enrolment as a nurse (R.2175) and studying at two campuses of a selected private Nursing Education Institution (NEI) in Gauteng province. The sample selection was non-probability, convenient sampling. Data was collected by means of semi-structured focus group interviews. The three main themes that emerged from the collected data were factors related to interpersonal relationships, factors related to the teaching and learning milieu and factors related to self-worth. Recommendations for student support in nursing education, student support in practice and for future research were made. / Verskeie faktore bestaan in die leeromgewing wat motivering van studente positief sowel as negatief beïnvloed. Hierdie studie ondersoek en beskryf die faktore wat die motivering van verpleegstudente beïnvloed om sodoende studentondersteuning-strategieë te identifiseer wat motivering in die leeromgewing sal bevorder. Die navorser het kwalitatiewe navorsing gebruik. Die toeganklike populasie was al die finale jaar studente geregistreer vir die kursus wat lei tot inskrywing as verpleegkundige (R.2175) en aan twee kampusse van ‘n geselekteerde privaatverpleegskool in die Gauteng provinsie studeer. Die nie-waarskynlikheids-, gerieflikheidsteekproeftegniek is gebruik. Semi-gestruktureerde fokusgroeponderhoude is gebruik om data in te samel. Die drie hooftemas wat navore gekom het uit die ingesamelde data was faktore geassosieer met interpersoonlike verhoudings, faktore geassosieer met die leeromgewing en faktore geassosieer met selfwaarde. Aanbevelings vir studentondersteuning in verpleegonderrig, studentondersteuning in praktyk en vir verdere navorsing is gemaak. / Ho na le dintlha tse ngata tse teng tikolohong ya dithuto tse ka bang le kgahlamelo e itseng ho baithuti ka tsela e ntle kapa e bosula. Diphuputso tsena di hlakisa dintlha tse ka bang le kabelo morolong wa baithui ba booki e le hore ho tle ho hlauwe meralo ya tshehetso e tlang ho matlafatsa tikoloho ya dithuto. Ho sebedisitswe mokgwa o nang le boleng, o batsi o hlakileng. Batho bao ho entsweng diphuputso tsena ho bona, e ne e le baithuti ba selemo sa ho qetela ba ingodiseditseng setifikeiti sa ho ya ithutela booki, ba ithutelang dikhemphaseng tse pedi tsa lekala la poraefete la Nursing Education Institution, profensing ya Gauteng. Mokgwa o sebedisitsweng wa ho kgetha, o ne o sa fane ka sephetho se hlakileng, se bobebe. Ho ilwe ha bokelletswa lesedi ka tsela ya dihlopha tse hlonngweng dipotso. Dihlooho (mokotaba) tse tharo tse ka sehlohong tse hlahellang leseding lena le bokelleditsweng, e bile dintlha tse amanang le dikamano tsa batho, dintlha tse amanang le tikoloho ya dithuto le dintlha tse amanang le boitshepo ya motho. Ho entswe dikgothalletso tsa tshehetso ya baithuti thutong ya booki, tshehetso ya baithuti kwetlisong le bakeng sa diphuputso tsa nako e tlang. / Health Studies / M. P. H. (Health Studies)

MPH / Department of Public Health / Introduction: Students in universities are exposed to various stressors which affect them to progress in their studies. The sources of stress are varied and ranging from challenges resulting from family background and history, the present circumstances and the uncertain future. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore factors that contribute to stress among students at a selected university in rural South Africa. Method: This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach using an explorative design to explore the factors contributing to stress among students at a selected university in South Africa. The study utilised convenience sampling to select participants who met the criteria of inclusion and in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, privacy and protect participants from being harmed were observed in the study. Data was analysed using Tesch method. Results: The following themes were derived from data analysis: Personal, relationship environmental, academic factors. Recommendations: Students specific health promotion programmes should be introduced to raise awareness about stress and management of it. Conclusions: The study concludes that students experience high levels of stress during their studies therefore it is important for the university health authorities to introduce stress management programs for students. / NRF

Students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) in South Africa face a number of challenges including psychological problems. These challenges have a strong bearing on the academic success of the students. The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of psychological support services rendered to students at Majuba TVET College. Interviews were recorded verbatim and transcribed. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse the data. The themes used were derived from the research objectives and these were further divided into categories and sub-categories. The study found that the institution does provide psychological support services to the learner. The forms of psychological support include career counselling, pre-counselling, referral system, on-going counselling and peer counselling and mentoring. Improved academic performance, improved student attendance student retention and improved college certification rate are some of the benefits that can be realised from the effective utilisation of psychological support by the students. Various challenges hinder the effective utilisation of these psychological support services including, lack of qualified personnel, being understaffed, poor referral system, conflicting roles of staff, inadequate on-site counselling, low-prioritisation of psychological support by college management and limited access time. The participants highlighted the need for the institution to establish linkages with key stakeholders such as other TVET Colleges so as to have a platform for sharing vital information on psychological support. The participants were of the view that more qualified and registered staff should be hired to bolster the provision of psychological support to students. The referral system should be improved and the participants advocated for the services to be accessible around the clock. College management should show commitment to students’ welfare by prioritising and recognising student psychological support as pivotal to students’ academic success. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Text in Afrikaans / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Spesialisering in Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Spesialisering in Voorligting)