Humans are relational beings, as they are constantly in interaction with others and with their environment. In schools, learners spend at least nine years of their lives in formal schooling, and the relationships they have with their teachers are bound to have an impact on their self-configuration. According to the Field theory, the Bioecological theory and the Dialogical theory of self, which were used as theoretical frameworks for this study, individuals’ self-configuration is impacted by their environment, experiences and interactions with others. The focus of this study was on Grade 7 learners’ self-configuration experiences within the teacher-learner relationship. Grade 7 learners are at the beginning of the adolescent phase, which is characterised by many changes, transitions, challenges and uncertainties. One of these transitions is the forthcoming transition from primary school to high school and a healthy self-configuration could assist learners to adapt to these changes in a positive manner. The research was qualitative in nature and made use of the case study method. This allowed the researcher to use data gathering approaches through which the subjective experiences of the participants could be explored. Twelve participants volunteered to take part in this study, and data was gathered by means of individual interviews as well as group discussions. All interviews and group discussions were voice and video recorded, where after they were transcribed and analysed by means of thematic analysis. The analysis allowed for data to be organised into meaningful themes. It was found that learners’ experiences of relationships with teachers are both positive and negative. Self-regulation in learners takes place through encouragement and disapproval from teachers, as well as through lessons learnt from teachers and from past experiences. Further studies around self-configuration and teacher-learner relationships are recommended, in order to make teachers more aware of the importance of the teacher-learner relationship, and also to determine what the obstacles are in developing supportive and caring teacher-learner relationships. By highlighting the importance, and by determining the obstacles, more meaningful teacher-learner relationships could be encouraged and developed in order to enhance learners’ self-configuration experiences. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Challenging behaviour poses problems for teachers globally and yet very little research has been done with regard to the teacher-learner relationship and what challenging behaviour does to the teacher. The goal of this study was to explore teachers’ experiences of challenging behaviour within their relationships with learners that display challenging behaviour regarding teacher’s self-configuration. A qualitative approach was pursued in the form of an interpretive descriptive design in order to gain a better understanding of the teachers’ self-configuration experiences. For the purpose of this study the field theory was used as the theoretical framework, viewing teachers in their environment, specifically focusing on the teacher-learner relationship. A total of 12 teachers were purposefully selected from a school in Observatory, Johannesburg. The data were collected through in-depth interviews. Additionally, incomplete sentences were used to enrich data and to enhance trustworthiness. Triangulation was ensured by using two data collection methods to increase the credibility and validity of the results. The interviews and incomplete sentences were recorded via audio recording equipment. The recordings were then transcribed in order to identify emerging themes and subthemes. Thematic analysis was used once the data had been transcribed in order to gain meaningful information. This study revealed teachers’ self-configuration experiences in their relationships with learners with challenging behaviour and experienced their relationships with these children as a foundation for self-configuration. Teachers’ self-configuration is embedded in their different selves at school and their love and passion for teaching are reduced due to negative emotions. Experiences within the relationship escalate to the home environment and challenging behaviour causes stress for teachers. Teachers viewed challenging behaviour as behaviour that is an internal challenge for the learner, but also behaviour that is directed externally towards the teacher and other learners. Trust and respect, class size, individual attention and communication were identified elements contributing to self-configuration within the teacher-learner relationship. This study showed the importance of relationships in the school context and specifically focused on teachers’ self-configuration. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Humans are relational beings, as they are constantly in interaction with others and with their environment. In schools, learners spend at least nine years of their lives in formal schooling, and the relationships they have with their teachers are bound to have an impact on their self-configuration. According to the Field theory, the Bioecological theory and the Dialogical theory of self, which were used as theoretical frameworks for this study, individuals’ self-configuration is impacted by their environment, experiences and interactions with others. The focus of this study was on Grade 7 learners’ self-configuration experiences within the teacher-learner relationship. Grade 7 learners are at the beginning of the adolescent phase, which is characterised by many changes, transitions, challenges and uncertainties. One of these transitions is the forthcoming transition from primary school to high school and a healthy self-configuration could assist learners to adapt to these changes in a positive manner. The research was qualitative in nature and made use of the case study method. This allowed the researcher to use data gathering approaches through which the subjective experiences of the participants could be explored. Twelve participants volunteered to take part in this study, and data was gathered by means of individual interviews as well as group discussions. All interviews and group discussions were voice and video recorded, where after they were transcribed and analysed by means of thematic analysis. The analysis allowed for data to be organised into meaningful themes. It was found that learners’ experiences of relationships with teachers are both positive and negative. Self-regulation in learners takes place through encouragement and disapproval from teachers, as well as through lessons learnt from teachers and from past experiences. Further studies around self-configuration and teacher-learner relationships are recommended, in order to make teachers more aware of the importance of the teacher-learner relationship, and also to determine what the obstacles are in developing supportive and caring teacher-learner relationships. By highlighting the importance, and by determining the obstacles, more meaningful teacher-learner relationships could be encouraged and developed in order to enhance learners’ self-configuration experiences. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Challenging behaviour poses problems for teachers globally and yet very little research has been done with regard to the teacher-learner relationship and what challenging behaviour does to the teacher. The goal of this study was to explore teachers’ experiences of challenging behaviour within their relationships with learners that display challenging behaviour regarding teacher’s self-configuration. A qualitative approach was pursued in the form of an interpretive descriptive design in order to gain a better understanding of the teachers’ self-configuration experiences. For the purpose of this study the field theory was used as the theoretical framework, viewing teachers in their environment, specifically focusing on the teacher-learner relationship. A total of 12 teachers were purposefully selected from a school in Observatory, Johannesburg. The data were collected through in-depth interviews. Additionally, incomplete sentences were used to enrich data and to enhance trustworthiness. Triangulation was ensured by using two data collection methods to increase the credibility and validity of the results. The interviews and incomplete sentences were recorded via audio recording equipment. The recordings were then transcribed in order to identify emerging themes and subthemes. Thematic analysis was used once the data had been transcribed in order to gain meaningful information. This study revealed teachers’ self-configuration experiences in their relationships with learners with challenging behaviour and experienced their relationships with these children as a foundation for self-configuration. Teachers’ self-configuration is embedded in their different selves at school and their love and passion for teaching are reduced due to negative emotions. Experiences within the relationship escalate to the home environment and challenging behaviour causes stress for teachers. Teachers viewed challenging behaviour as behaviour that is an internal challenge for the learner, but also behaviour that is directed externally towards the teacher and other learners. Trust and respect, class size, individual attention and communication were identified elements contributing to self-configuration within the teacher-learner relationship. This study showed the importance of relationships in the school context and specifically focused on teachers’ self-configuration. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Esta dissertação tem como principal objetivo instigar a reflexão metodológica dos professores de Francês Língua Estrangeira, através da partilha de textos de diversas naturezas elaborados, organizados e apresentados neste trabalho sob a forma de quatro módulos de reflexão: Estabelecendo parâmetros para a pesquisa, Compreendendo tendências, Relatando experiências e Avaliando experiências. Cada um dos textos modulares focaliza um aspecto do processo de constituição gradativa da autora enquanto professora-engenheira de língua estrangeira. Após apontar as principais tendências transversais à Didática do Francês Língua Estrangeira na atualidade, a autorapesquisadora pretende ressaltar a importância para a aprendizagem de uma língua estrangeira da prática de tarefas pelos aprendizes, ou seja, atividades significativas mediante a prática da comunicação (PERIS, 1999). A experiência que possibilitou a pesquisa foi realizada em um programa de ensinoaprendizagem do Francês Língua Estrangeira para estudantes universitários de Engenharia inscritos em um curso extracurricular de francês (nível Básico II) oferecido pelo Centro Acadêmico da Faculdade de Engenharia Química da Universidade Estadual de Campinas ao longo do segundo semestre de 2009. Embora baseados nos pressupostos teóricos da Abordagem Comunicativa, os procedimentos pedagógicos descritos nesta dissertação experimentam elementos subjacentes à Perspectiva Accional na medida em que pretendem instaurar na sala de aula um novo cenário para a ação sobre o outro através da linguagem: o cenário do fórum em língua estrangeira. / The main aim of this dissertation is to instigate methodological reflection in teachers of French as a Foreign Language, through the sharing of various kinds of texts prepared, organized and presented in this study in the form of four modules of reflection: Establishing research parameters; Understanding trends; Reporting experiences; and Evaluating experiences. Each of the modular texts focuses on one aspect of the gradual process to develop the author as a teacher-engineer of the foreign language. After pointing out the main transversal trends of the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language today, the author-researcher stresses the importance, for learning a foreign language, of the practice of tasks by learners, i.e., meaningful activities through the practice of communication (Peris, 1999). The experience that enabled the survey was conducted in a teaching-learning programme of French as Foreign Language for Engineering students enrolled in a French extension course (Basic Level II) offered by the Academic Centre of the School of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas, during the second half of 2009. Although based on theoretical assumptions of the Communicative Approach, the educational procedures described in this dissertation use elements underlying the Action Perspective as they intend to use in the classroom a new scenario for the action on the Other through language: that of the forum in a foreign language.

Esta dissertação tem como principal objetivo instigar a reflexão metodológica dos professores de Francês Língua Estrangeira, através da partilha de textos de diversas naturezas elaborados, organizados e apresentados neste trabalho sob a forma de quatro módulos de reflexão: Estabelecendo parâmetros para a pesquisa, Compreendendo tendências, Relatando experiências e Avaliando experiências. Cada um dos textos modulares focaliza um aspecto do processo de constituição gradativa da autora enquanto professora-engenheira de língua estrangeira. Após apontar as principais tendências transversais à Didática do Francês Língua Estrangeira na atualidade, a autorapesquisadora pretende ressaltar a importância para a aprendizagem de uma língua estrangeira da prática de tarefas pelos aprendizes, ou seja, atividades significativas mediante a prática da comunicação (PERIS, 1999). A experiência que possibilitou a pesquisa foi realizada em um programa de ensinoaprendizagem do Francês Língua Estrangeira para estudantes universitários de Engenharia inscritos em um curso extracurricular de francês (nível Básico II) oferecido pelo Centro Acadêmico da Faculdade de Engenharia Química da Universidade Estadual de Campinas ao longo do segundo semestre de 2009. Embora baseados nos pressupostos teóricos da Abordagem Comunicativa, os procedimentos pedagógicos descritos nesta dissertação experimentam elementos subjacentes à Perspectiva Accional na medida em que pretendem instaurar na sala de aula um novo cenário para a ação sobre o outro através da linguagem: o cenário do fórum em língua estrangeira. / The main aim of this dissertation is to instigate methodological reflection in teachers of French as a Foreign Language, through the sharing of various kinds of texts prepared, organized and presented in this study in the form of four modules of reflection: Establishing research parameters; Understanding trends; Reporting experiences; and Evaluating experiences. Each of the modular texts focuses on one aspect of the gradual process to develop the author as a teacher-engineer of the foreign language. After pointing out the main transversal trends of the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language today, the author-researcher stresses the importance, for learning a foreign language, of the practice of tasks by learners, i.e., meaningful activities through the practice of communication (Peris, 1999). The experience that enabled the survey was conducted in a teaching-learning programme of French as Foreign Language for Engineering students enrolled in a French extension course (Basic Level II) offered by the Academic Centre of the School of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas, during the second half of 2009. Although based on theoretical assumptions of the Communicative Approach, the educational procedures described in this dissertation use elements underlying the Action Perspective as they intend to use in the classroom a new scenario for the action on the Other through language: that of the forum in a foreign language.

This thesis aims at exploring the potential of playful annotations in interactive textbooks, to engage the teacher and the learner in an active learning process. This research focus was taken after a Field study consisting of a range of semi-structured interviews, surveys, and discussions with teachers and students from a pilot school provided with an interactive textbook platform called Gleerups. This latter is a Swedish publisher which spreads a large offer of educational textbooks across Sweden. The thesis topic was chosen in order to find and suggest ways to approach the learning and reading phase in an active way while also focusing on the teacher-learner relationship.The design contributions include proposals for improvements taking the shape of scenarios and sketches using field research and qualitative studies. It is based on an analysis of related examples and cross disciplinary literature, grounding the research in education and learning theories. Finally, a prototype encompassing the main features raised from the research is presented.The thesis ends with outcomes and reflections from findings, as well as discussions with stakeholders and teachers that initiated the research.

Published Article / This research study explores how black male student teachers in their final fourth year programme at the University of Technology conceptualise the 'in loco parentis' aspect of their professional moulding. Male student teachers in their final fourth year studies are placed for a period of six months at various schools, as part of their professional preparation. Based on this phenomenon it has become important to explore how they perceive their position as male teachers in preparation against the delegated position invested in them by common law, as well as legal positive law. The researcher used the Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) approach as a transformative and liberatory mechanism to move away from the problems that are associated with being a male teacher and the abuse of power directed at learners in their care. A critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used to analyse the narratives of ten black male student teachers through in-depth interviews that were audio-taped. The ten male student teachers were based in different secondary schools in the Lejweleputswa district.

Underachievement is a perennial problem in many secondary schools in South Africa. One of the reasons for this state of affairs, is the inhibitive learning climate in such schools. This study attempts to determine the extent and causes of the problem and to develop guidelines for parents, teachers, learners and school management teams to resolve some of the issues that cause the problem. This is a qualitative study using focus group and individual interviews. The main findings contributing to underachievement among learners, include lack of parental guidance and supervision, negative attitudes of teachers towards learners, inflexible teaching methods, overcrowded classrooms, lack of resources and facilities in schools, lukewarm attitude of learners towards their work and the absence of positive role models in communities. The findings highlight important factors, which contribute to underachievement among learners in an inhibitive learning climate. The recommendations are an attempt towards solving this important issue. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Special Needs Education)

Counselor educators foster the multicultural counseling competence of counselors-in-training; however, counselor educators face challenges that include emotionally charged exchanges that may might impact counselor educators' relationship with students. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate counselor educators' experiences with emotionally charged exchanges related to teaching multicultural counseling. The ecological systems theory was used as a conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 4 counselor educators from Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs-accredited counselor education programs in the United States shared their knowledge of these emotionally charged exchanges through semistructured phone interviews in their natural settings. The data gathered underwent analysis following the descriptive phenomenological method, and revealed the essence of counselor educators' lived experiences: ever-present conflicting emotions and tension, with peaks of feeling exposed, inadequate, and satisfied after intentionally evoking students' emotions. Counselor educators can use the results of this study to alter their pedagogy and empower their students to develop their multicultural counseling competence more fully. Improved multicultural counseling competence might improve the treatment provided to a diverse range of clients and reduce treatment disparities.