The use of mobile and social learning media for K-12 students continues to rapidly increase in both formal and informal learning environments. While many educational apps have been developed for adult visitors to museums and science and technology centres (STCs), very few programs exist that are specifically designed to meet the unique learning and interpretive needs of elementary students in these learning environments. This dissertation explores the inclusion and development of children’s ideas and digitally mediated interpretive activities for peers within the exhibits of the natural history gallery at the Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM) in Victoria, British Columbia. In this triangulated case study, thirteen Grade 4 and 5 students, five museum interpreters, and six elementary teachers worked in teams to design educational apps for their peers using experimental software specifically designed for this project. Five design teams composed of 2-3 students, one teacher, and a museum educator designed a wide variety of science activities for the natural history gallery at the RBCM. The results of analytic triangulation indicate that mobile interpretive apps acted as imperfect but important educational mediating tools for the participants in this study. The analysis revealed that, despite initial preconceptions and frustrations students and educators had about mobile design and technologies, Grade 4 and 5 elementary students were capable and highly interested creating mobile science apps for the natural history galleries at RBCM. Students and educators designed content and activities that extended participant-based learning opportunities beyond the existing science programs and curriculum currently available at the RBCM. The dissertation concludes with an examination of how informal science institutions can move beyond educational interactivity to more participatory frameworks that include the ideas and voices of young people within mobile learning and educational app development at natural history museums and STCs in the future. / Graduate

In this qualitative study the researcher explores the experiences and locus of control orientation of five individuals who have been guided by diviners. It also determines whether any traits or demographic variables characterise individuals consulting with diviners. This study is underpinned by three assumptions, namely, that multiple accounts of reality exist (postmodern philosophy), that knowledge cannot be void of subjectivity (constructivist epistemology) and that ‘meaning’ is influenced by dominant discourses (social constructionist paradigm). Individuals’ experiences with diviners are documented using thematic network analysis. Comparative analysis of the participants’ global themes revealed that ‘control’ and ‘self insight’ and ’self expression’ were common themes. Levenson’s Locus of Control Questionnaire was applied and established that an internal locus of control orientation predominated amongst participants. This finding contradicted existing literature. Professionals in the field of humanities and lay persons interested in divination would appreciate this study. Focal areas for future research and clinical practice are highlighted. / Psychology / (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))

In this qualitative study the researcher explores the experiences and locus of control orientation of five individuals who have been guided by diviners. It also determines whether any traits or demographic variables characterise individuals consulting with diviners. This study is underpinned by three assumptions, namely, that multiple accounts of reality exist (postmodern philosophy), that knowledge cannot be void of subjectivity (constructivist epistemology) and that ‘meaning’ is influenced by dominant discourses (social constructionist paradigm). Individuals’ experiences with diviners are documented using thematic network analysis. Comparative analysis of the participants’ global themes revealed that ‘control’ and ‘self insight’ and ’self expression’ were common themes. Levenson’s Locus of Control Questionnaire was applied and established that an internal locus of control orientation predominated amongst participants. This finding contradicted existing literature. Professionals in the field of humanities and lay persons interested in divination would appreciate this study. Focal areas for future research and clinical practice are highlighted. / Psychology / (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))

Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur professionella på Barnahus skapar förutsättningar för barn att berätta om sexuella övergrepp. Datainsamlingen i denna kvalitativa studie gjordes genom nio semistrukturerade intervjuer och materialet analyserades mot kommunikationsteori och med hjälp av en tematisk nätverksanalys. Resultatet visade att professionella måste ha kunskap om barn och olika samtalsmetoder samt att det måste finnas en beredskap för att ta emot barnets berättelse. Studien visade även att en struktur för samtalet och att skapa trygghet för barnet är framgångsfaktorer för att barn ska våga berätta om sexuella övergrepp.Mer forskning behövs för att utveckla trygga samtalsmetoder för att möjliggöra för fler barn att berätta om övergreppen. / The aim of the study was to investigate how professionals at Children’s advocacy center (Barnahus) create conditions for children to talk about sexual abuse. The data in this qualitative study was collected through nine semi-structured interviews and the material was analyzed with thematic network analysis. Communication theory was used as an theoretical frame. The results showed that professionals must have knowledge of children and different counseling methods, and they must be prepared to listen to the child´s story. The study also showed that a structure for the conversation and creating security for the child are success factors helping children to tell about sexual abuse. More research is needed to develop safe conversation and counseling methods to enable more children to tell about the abuse.

Gangs exist as metaphors of the societies in which they are embedded and are powerful, hence the need is great for an ecologically powerful model and a collation of a picture about gangs and gang life as described by knowledgeable individuals. With so much literature and knowledgeable individuals at hand to provide insight into the problem, the rationale for this study comes forth in the form of taking all this knowledge and insight and creating a collation of a picture of gangs as it is understood by those who study them and by those who have been confronted with them. The theoretical framework is a social constructionist cybernetic epistemology. One-on-one interviews were conducted with knowledgeable sources and audio-visual material assisted in understanding the context of gangs better. A hermeneutic analysis was used. The interview transcripts from the participants were analysed and themed according to a thematic network analysis and linked with available literature. These themes were then used to represent a Time Cable of gangs. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Gangs exist as metaphors of the societies in which they are embedded and are powerful, hence the need is great for an ecologically powerful model and a collation of a picture about gangs and gang life as described by knowledgeable individuals. With so much literature and knowledgeable individuals at hand to provide insight into the problem, the rationale for this study comes forth in the form of taking all this knowledge and insight and creating a collation of a picture of gangs as it is understood by those who study them and by those who have been confronted with them. The theoretical framework is a social constructionist cybernetic epistemology. One-on-one interviews were conducted with knowledgeable sources and audio-visual material assisted in understanding the context of gangs better. A hermeneutic analysis was used. The interview transcripts from the participants were analysed and themed according to a thematic network analysis and linked with available literature. These themes were then used to represent a Time Cable of gangs. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

No description available.

Unemployment among young, less-educated coloured individuals is a major problem in the community of Worcester in the Western Cape. The purpose of the research study is to gain in-depth insight into the impact of unemployment on psychological well-being among young coloured people in Worcester. The study is based on a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve unemployed, coloured persons in Worcester. The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 30 years, with the median age of 20.33 years. Purposive sampling and snowball techniques were used to select these unemployed young persons. Two instruments, a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide, were used to gather data on the research participants. The transcribed data were analysed by means of content thematic analysis and aided by thematic network analyses. The findings of the study suggest that unemployed participants experience negative feelings daily as a result of their unemployment. Some participants blamed themselves for previous mistakes that they had made, they feel a sense of failure to provide for their children's needs as parents, they expressed feelings of guilt or shame, and compared themselves with employed peers, which is indicative of low self-esteem. Furthermore, unemployment has a financial impact on participants which includes financial dependency on others, unemployment serving as a barrier to being able to fulfil future plans and aspirations as well as unemployment having an effect on the social life of participants in that participants appear to withdraw from social interaction and isolate themselves. For some participants there was a loss of a sense of purpose experiencing difficulties in structuring their time and generally spent their time with passive and purposeless activities. Despite being unemployed, certain other participants seek a sense of purpose and try to spend their time engaging in menial tasks or social activities. Participants expressed an overall positive attitude towards employment which includes regarding work as being very important as well as remaining optimistic about their chances of finding a job. Coping with unemployment daily emerged as one of the struggles experienced by the participants in the study. The process of coping with unemployment daily includes utilising a variety of coping strategies to manage their unemployment as well as to manage negative feelings that emerge from being unemployed. The coping strategies indicated by the participants include listening to music, sleeping, reading the Bible, and talking to their friends or family members. Participants also revealed that they needed and received two types of social support from family and friends to help them cope with their unemployment predicament; including a need for emotional support and a need for instrumental support. Participants in the study experienced judgment by community and family members daily because of their unemployed status which includes stigmatising comments. These comments are internalised by participants which may exert a negative impact on their psychological well-being. Limitations of the study includes, participants could have answered the questions of the semi-structured guide in a socially desirable manner as well as the audio-recorded interviews were transcribed into Afrikaans and translated into English and as such, some of the meaning of what the participants had said could have been lost in the translation process. Recommendations for further research includes exploring whether perceived support have a greater beneficial effect on the psychological well-being of unemployed individuals than received support, as well as the role such types of support play in coping with unemployment. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Unemployment among young, less-educated coloured individuals is a major problem in the community of Worcester in the Western Cape. The purpose of the research study is to gain in-depth insight into the impact of unemployment on psychological well-being among young coloured people in Worcester. The study is based on a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve unemployed, coloured persons in Worcester. The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 30 years, with the median age of 20.33 years. Purposive sampling and snowball techniques were used to select these unemployed young persons. Two instruments, a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide, were used to gather data on the research participants. The transcribed data were analysed by means of content thematic analysis and aided by thematic network analyses. The findings of the study suggest that unemployed participants experience negative feelings daily as a result of their unemployment. Some participants blamed themselves for previous mistakes that they had made, they feel a sense of failure to provide for their children's needs as parents, they expressed feelings of guilt or shame, and compared themselves with employed peers, which is indicative of low self-esteem. Furthermore, unemployment has a financial impact on participants which includes financial dependency on others, unemployment serving as a barrier to being able to fulfil future plans and aspirations as well as unemployment having an effect on the social life of participants in that participants appear to withdraw from social interaction and isolate themselves. For some participants there was a loss of a sense of purpose experiencing difficulties in structuring their time and generally spent their time with passive and purposeless activities. Despite being unemployed, certain other participants seek a sense of purpose and try to spend their time engaging in menial tasks or social activities. Participants expressed an overall positive attitude towards employment which includes regarding work as being very important as well as remaining optimistic about their chances of finding a job. Coping with unemployment daily emerged as one of the struggles experienced by the participants in the study. The process of coping with unemployment daily includes utilising a variety of coping strategies to manage their unemployment as well as to manage negative feelings that emerge from being unemployed. The coping strategies indicated by the participants include listening to music, sleeping, reading the Bible, and talking to their friends or family members. Participants also revealed that they needed and received two types of social support from family and friends to help them cope with their unemployment predicament; including a need for emotional support and a need for instrumental support. Participants in the study experienced judgment by community and family members daily because of their unemployed status which includes stigmatising comments. These comments are internalised by participants which may exert a negative impact on their psychological well-being. Limitations of the study includes, participants could have answered the questions of the semi-structured guide in a socially desirable manner as well as the audio-recorded interviews were transcribed into Afrikaans and translated into English and as such, some of the meaning of what the participants had said could have been lost in the translation process. Recommendations for further research includes exploring whether perceived support have a greater beneficial effect on the psychological well-being of unemployed individuals than received support, as well as the role such types of support play in coping with unemployment. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)