The problem which prompted the undertaking of this study was that of increasing absenteeism amongst student nurses at one South African Nursing College. The information, obtained from individual and group interviews, was analysed to identify the perceptions developed by student nurses. Absenteeism is shown to be a behavioural response to environmental and other factors in the world of the student nurse. A theoretical model is proposed to explain three main types of absenteeism and the factors which contribute to absenteeism and attendance.

Father-absence, whether it be in the context of short duration or total absence, tends to provide inadequacies in the child's interaction with his/her father, leading to accompanying debilitating effects on cognitive functioning (Sutton-Smith et al, 1986). In view of the South African context father-absence economically sanctioned through migrant labour amongst Africans, manifests itself during the formative years of children's lives. For this reason this study investigates the association between migrant father-absence and children's levels of high school academic achievement. The sample of matched father-absent and -present working class children was acquired from 39 schools under the Venda State department of Education. HSRC's standardised Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) biology, English second language, and mathematics were used as data gathering instruments. 276 father-absent and -present high school (Std 10) students data was analysed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to establish how academic achievement among students varies by family patterns and gender. Differences established between family patterns and gender on SAT raw scores of the Total Battery, mathematics, English second language and biology are reported separately. The results of the study seem to suggest that father-absence has some remarkable deleterious effects upon scholastic achievement, apparently depending upon the type of skill tested. Furthermore, another significant finding indicated among these working class African children is that father-presence tends to benefit males more than females, while father-absence detrimentally affects females more than their male counterparts.

A mini-dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, 2004. / This study investigates the validity of the General Scholastic Aptitude Test as a tool for predicting academic success for first year Information Technology (IT) students. Secondly it seeks to establish if it is an equally good predictor for the various racial groups in South Africa. Thirdly it investigates it’s usefulness as a predictor for the different gender groups. The final aim is to establish whether the GSAT correlates with the Swedish Rating (SR) and English language ability in terms of predicting academic success for first year IT students. The student group that served as the sample was the first year IT student group over the three year peroid from 2000 to 2002 at the Port Elizabeth (PE) Technikon. The study found that there was a weak link between GSAT and academic success across the entire sample. It however proved not to be an equally good predictor across all the racial groups, where it proved to be a far more useful tool for white students than for students from the other racial groups. Insofar as the gender groups were concerned it appeared to have some predictive power across the whole sample but not necessarily equally for the different gender and racial groups. There appeared to be a positive correlation between GSAT and Swedish Rating but not between GSAT and English language ability. From this study it appears that the GSAT has some merit in predicting academic success, although with differing rates of usefulness across different demographic groupings in South Africa. In addition there are many other factors that may militate against academic success in a student’s life which may hinder the usefulness of the GSAT as a predictive tool. If such assessments are to be used it would seem that they should be used very carefully, that factors reducing the chances of academic success need to be identified, and that institutions ensure that programmes are in place to empower students to maximize their potential.

Thesis (M.A. (Criminology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / In this study, the exposure and effects of cyberbullying on students at the University of Limpopo (UL) were explored. Furthermore, this study looked into the forms of cyberbullying that students were exposed to, the consequences of cyberbullying on victims, the relationship between the cyberbully and the cybervictim, the profile of typical victims, the reasons why students were reluctant to report cyberbullying incidents and the causes of cyberbullying. This study implemented a qualitative research approach. The fifteen participants were selected by means of non-probability purposive sampling. The researcher interviewed these participants guided by the Interview Schedule Guide and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to solicit to share their personal experiences of cyberbullying. Nine (09) participants were interviewed through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and only the other Six (06) participants formed part of One (01) FGD. The findings of this study were as follows; on the forms of cyberbullying, sexting was found to be the most victimisation that students experienced, students were mostly likely to be cyberbullied by someone they know rather than just a stranger, students experienced negative side effects of cyberbullying, ranging from psychological and academical. Females also experienced more cyberbullying as compared to males. Based on the findings of this study, the following recomendations are made; that there should be improved support for research that examines factors contributing to this type of bullying, in particular dealing with the students. There should also be an educational programme that informs people of cyberbullying and what constitutes cyberbullying. This could be done by educating people about cyberbullying and also by offering students counselling sessions. In addition, this method will help lecturers, parents and counsellors informed about the changing face of technology. One of the efficient approaches can educate students on how to resolve the online bullying without retaliating, encourage youth to reveal their experiences to relevant stakeholders and universities to invent codes of conduct and other policies that tackle cyberbullying. Online bullying prevention strategies should be incorporated in the campus curriculum and should also include substantive instruction on cyberbullying.

Working while studying is a popular trend around the world and the number of nontraditional students are increasing. As a result of working and studying simultaneously, workschool conflict tends to occur. There is still some debate as to which characteristics across the personal and work domains most significantly influence work-school conflict. Similarly, the extent to which social support moderates the experience of work-school conflict is unclear. In this study, secondary data was used to examine a model of work characteristics consisting of job demand, job control and working hours, as well as personal characteristics which include marital status, gender and number of dependents. Further, the effect of social support, comprising of family support, co-worker support and supervisor support as a moderator in this work- and personal characteristics model was also explored. The respondents of this study (N = 367) were from either a South African or American context and the characteristics in both contexts were explored. The analysis revealed that the proposed work- and personal characteristics model is not significant; and social support does not moderate the relationship. Furthermore, this research study found that there are different significant predictors of workschool conflict across the two distinct contexts.

Substantial contributions have been made by lesbian and gay developmental theorists in understanding the development of lesbian and gay sexual identities, or what has come to be known as the coming out process. “Coming out of the closet” has become a central metaphor, in western contexts, for the recognisable process gay men and lesbians undergo in order to claim a relatively stable and enduring sexual identity, while overcoming obstacles such as heterosexism. Lesbians’ sexual identities are examined in this thesis through a Foucauldian lens which is fused with a narrative-discursive perspective. The aim of this study is not to trace a progressive development of identity, but rather to consider how lesbians in this study are located within a specific context, namely, a historically white university in post-apartheid South Africa, and how their identities are dynamic products of ever-shifting socio-historical spaces. Eight lesbians’ stories are analysed using the narrative-discursive method, which allows for a consideration for how the construction and negotiation of identities is shaped and constrained by social and discursive conditions. The women in this study do utilise the concept of coming out to some extent in their stories, but this narrative does not entirely account for their experiences. Instead, these women’s accounts reflect the way in which they personally experience heterosexism, and how they constantly negotiate their sexual identities within certain social and geographical spaces. When the nuances of lesbians’ contexts are taken into account, it becomes clear that claiming a lesbian identity is more than just about “coming out”, and rather about an on-going process of identity management.

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)

The increasing cultural and social diversity of South African society necessitates a study of the formation of harmonious social relationships amongst students at multicultural tertiary institutions. Desegregation at educational institutions is still in its embryonic stage and the minimal changes at college campuses are tokenistic. Educators have to make a concerted effort to review the dynamics and complexities of institutional change and to deviate from the straitjacket of upholding only ethnocentric views. A lack of communication and understanding between the different racial and ethnic groups on South African campuses has resulted in conflict and tension. This study takes an in-depth look at the psychology of prejudice, issues of ethnicity, racism and discrimination. A literature study and an empirical research project are used to gain an overview of the ramifications of racism on the formation of friendships in a multicultural milieu. The results of this study indicate the need to create a diversified campus environment which will promote genuine cross-cultural exchange. Working with culturally different students is a challenge that requires an acceptance and appreciation of diversity; flexibility, and improved contact and communication. Structured multicultural models and procedural frameworks have been designed implementation at institutions of specifically for higher learning to enhance social cohesion. are made: The following recommendations * Transitions models such as the contact hypothesis and the co-operative learning models promote the need for an interracial contact of people with equal status in co-operative situations. *Prejudice-Reduction Workshops will enable participants to learn about prejudice and to develop a positive mind-set towards all racial groups. *Specialized Programmes such as intercultural simulation games are ideal for discussions on culture shock, ethnocentrism and enculturation. * Mentoring Programmes ought to be designed to meet the needs of diverse students by providing wise and friendly counsel. * Academic Support Programmes or Affirmative Action * Strategies are necessary to assist succeed by providing language and students to study skills programmes, additional tutorials and content-based instruction for specialized courses. Special trainiog courses for educators ought to be initiated to · shape significant aspects of . an intercultural campus environment. * Preparatory Programmes which will improve interpersonal relationships, should be held prior to college entrance. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Drinking and driving has always been a problem amongst university students. As Rocha-Silva (1981:1) states, drinking and driving accidents are one of the biggest problems that many universities internationally and locally have to deal with. The high level of drinking and driving among students in South African universities has prompted many universities to implement strategies to address the problem, such as the "Buddy Bus" campaign. The Department of Transport (DoT) has also implemented strategies such as the Arrive Alive campaign and Asiphephe to try and reduce the problem of drinking and driving in the country at large. However, studies on drinking and driving behaviour according to Nuntsu (2004) still point to an increase in the number of young people who engage in drinking and driving despite the number of diversified initiatives that have been implemented by educational institutions, communities and by various government bodies to counteract it. This has prompted this study in identifying the implementation approaches used by certain universities in South Africa in addressing drinking and driving among university students and the marketing strategies used to promote the drinking and driving policies. These universities included; the University of Johannesburg, Witwatersrand University and the University of Pretoria (Gauteng Province), University of KwaZulu-Natal campuses (Howard College, Westville campus and Pietermaritzburg campus), and the University of Zululand (KwaZulu-Natal province), the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and the University of Western Cape (Western Cape province). The method used for this study was qualitative method and the data was collected using face to face in-depth interviews. Both purposive and quota sampling was used to select the sample for the study. The findings showed that all the institutions under investigation had anti-drinking and driving programmes and campaigns such as "Buddy Bus" campaign and utilised music concerts with young famous musicians promoting anti-drinking and driving messages to students. However, they did not have formal, codified drinking and driving policies. Both the "top-down and the "bottom-up" approaches to policy implementation were identified in the institutions investigated. The "top-down" approach is implemented by the people at the top level, for example, in universities the management set the rules and the students have to abide by them. The "bottom-down" approaches are managed by students. The students decide on how the policies should be implemented. This approach is more flexible as it allows negotiation between students and management. The "bottom-up" approach appeared to be more "popular" than the "top-down" approach as it was adopted by seventy percent of the institutions. These institutions saw the "bottom-up" approach as appropriate in implementing the drinking and driving programmes as it allowed the student organisations (street-level bureaucrats) to have input on the policy implementation process. Indeed it also allows for negotiation and consensus building. The sociological theories, e.g. social learning theory, used in the study to explain students drinking were also evident in the findings with some universities adopting some of their suggested preventative measures which include the emphasis on negative social consequences of alcohol use and employment of popular peer role models to discourage alcohol use. However, the availability theory appeared to be more relevant in addressing drinking and driving behaviour, because for students to stop drinking and driving, alcohol should not be available to them - the premise of the theory. It was also evident from the findings that although there are programmes/strategies being implemented by the universities and DoT to address students drinking and driving, this deviant behaviour is still rife amongst the students. There is a need for more interventions from the universities, communities and DoT, all working together in developing and implementing drinking and driving strategies. There is also a need for theory-driven research on this "deviant behaviour", especially studies that use sociological theories to explain this "deviant behaviour" and the factors contributing to it. This will assist in providing important information and an understanding of why students engage in drinking and driving and also help to explain this deviant behaviour using sociological theories. The results of this theory-driven research will aid in highlighting important issues that need to be taken into consideration when designing drinking and driving programmes/policies at universities. The findings show that there is a need for approaches that will equip young people with life skills such as decision-making and peer pressure resistance skills which will allow them to resist the temptation of drinking and driving. Future investigations should thus focus on an evaluation of the drinking and driving strategies and the approaches used to implement them so that new and improved strategies can be developed. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, [2008]

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)