The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of negative influences facing children with physical disabilities living in rural areas. Children with physical disabilities living in rural areas of South Africa have to deal with many negative influences in addition to their disability. The main theme is that all children in rural areas face negative influences, but these are far worse for the children with physical disabilities. Societal and educational exclusion and poverty continue to place these children at a disadvantage despite South Africa’s policies that promote inclusion and equality. These rights are central to a meaningful democracy yet; research indicates that children with physical disabilities remain in a hopeless situation in the rural areas. To escape their plight inclusive education is pivotal. It is argued that the government’s capacity to deal with all the negative influences is limited and this therefore necessitates community involvement. Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological approach was used both to investigate the impact of the negative influences facing children with physical disabilities as well as providing a framework that tackles the barriers that prevent this marginalised group of children having an equal opportunity to education. A qualitative and ethnographic study was undertaken to investigate these issues. This entailed the researcher living in four rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, and collecting data through community participation, observations, questionnaires and interviews as well as photographs and drawings collected from the children. Data was analysed and poverty and exclusion clearly impacted not only on the children with physical disabilities, but their parents/caregivers. It became clear to the researcher that unless this group of children received early intervention to prepare them for education they would not be able to be included in formal education from Grade 1 but would need to begin their schooling in a specialised and exclusive environment. A framework for intervention based on Bronfenbrenner’s model was formulated that involved community involvement on the micro and mesosystemic levels. This framework is unique in that it will provide intensive early intervention for children with physical disabilities with the explicit aim of preparing them for inclusion and at the same time giving their parents/caregivers an opportunity to escape their plight of poverty.Every child in South Africa according to our Constitution and other policies is guaranteed equality. This equality needs to be provided to children with physical disabilities before they attend formal schooling and end up floundering never having had the opportunity to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty that they face. Contemporary models for understanding these negative impacts and exclusion suggest that an important outcome of rehabilitation services is to optimise children with physical disabilities participation in the home, school and community life. Bronfenbrenner’s Model is based on the premise that disability involves an interaction between features of the child and features of the environment that can be adapted to promote educational inclusion and thus reduce the cycle of poverty. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this study is to identify the role of the parents in the continuous inclusion of learners with Down’s syndrome in inclusive education. The study was conducted in the South African context with the parents of children with Down’s syndrome and who are currently included in inclusive education in Gauteng. The roles that these parents play in the inclusion of their children were identified by means of semi-structured interviews. This was done according to a qualitative phenomenological research design within the theoretical framework of the bio-ecological model of Brunfenbrenner. Results from this study indicated that parents will have to fulfil specific roles in a multi-faceted manner to ensure continuous inclusion for these learners with Down’s syndrome in inclusive education. The primary contribution of this study is towards the expansion of the theoretical knowledge of the role of the parents in continuous inclusive education of learners with Down’s syndrome. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om die ouers se rol by die kontinue insluiting van leerders met Downsindroom in inklusieweonderwys te bepaal. Die studie is binne die Suid-Afrikaanse milieu onderneem met die ouers van leerders met Downsindroom wat tans gewone inklusieweonderwys in Gauteng ontvang. Semi-gestruktureerdeonderhoude is gebruik om die ouers se rol in die kontinue insluiting van hul kinders in gewone inklusiewe onderwys te identifiseer. Hierdie studie is volgens’n kwantitatiewefenomenologiesenavorsingsontwerp binne die teoretiese raamwerk van die bio-ekosistemiesebenaderingsmodel van Bronfenbrenner uitgevoer.Die bevindings van hierdie studie toon dat ouers spesifieke rolle behoort te vervul om hierdie leerders se kontinue insluiting in inklusiewe onderwys te verseker. Die primêre bydrae wat hierdie studie sal lewer, is tot die uitbreiding van teoretiese kennis aangaande die ouers se rol in die insluiting van leerders met Downsindroom in inklusiewe onderwys. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inklusiewe Onderwys)

This research is about bullying in schools. The aim of the study was to investigate how the problem of bullying is understood in schools, its causes, types, effects, general patterns and strategies to curb this bullying problem in schools derived from the bioecological theory, through interviewing teachers, learners and principals at secondary school level. Qualitative approach and a case study were used. This qualitative research was conducted at three inclusive secondary schools in Johannesburg North District in Gauteng province in South Africa through engaging eighteen learners in Grade Eleven and Twelve in focus groups. One focus group composed of six learners was conducted at each of three participating schools. Nine teachers, three from each of the three participating schools were involved in semi- structured interviews to solicit data on how they understand bullying, its causes, types, effects, general patterns and ways of addressing bullying in schools. Three principals, one from each of the selected schools also participated in this study. All the participants participated in this research through invitation to voluntary participation after being made aware of the purposes of the study by the researcher. Thus, a purposive sample of three principals, nine teachers and eighteen learners was used by the researcher. Semi- structured interviews and focus group interviews were used as research instruments in this study. Teachers and principals were engaged in semi- structured interviews and learners were involved in focus group interviews. The bio- ecological theory and the wellness theory were used as theoretical frameworks in this research to understand bullying, its causes, types, effects and general patterns, so as to come up with strategies to address bullying that target the learners’ social contexts rather than the learners themselves as is with the case with the psychological model. Before conducting this research, the researcher obtained ethics clearance from the University of South Africa’s ethics committee, clearance was also obtained from Gauteng Department of, clearance from Johannesburg North District as well as acceptance letters from participating inclusive secondary schools. The researcher also obtained assent from the eighteen Grade eleven and twelve learners who participated in this study. Assent was also obtained from parents of learners who participated in this research. Consent was also obtained from the nine teachers and three principals who participated in this research. After conducting focus group discussions and semi- structured interviews with teachers and principals, the researcher transcribed data verbatim for the purposes of analysing it. After transcribing data, it was colour coded, then categorised and categories were further fused into themes which were discussed in chapter five in relation to literature reviewed in chapter two. Some interesting findings were discovered in this research. Lack of resources, violence and violent video games were found to be causes of bullying in schools. ‘Gangsterism’ and peer influence were said to be general patterns of bullying in schools. Low academic performance and absenteeism were said to be effects of bullying in schools. Physical bullying, verbal bullying, emotional bullying, social bullying, sexual bullying, teacher- learner bullying, learner to learner bullying, gender based bullying and cyber bullying were said to be some types of bullying prevalent in schools. Working with various stakeholders in education such as organisations like Love Life, S.E.N.C.A, South African Police Services and Community Based Youth Centres as well as other professionals like social workers, psychologists and specialist teachers was found to be helpful address bullying in schools. Findings also indicated that involving parents and community leaders in school activities assist to address bullying in schools. Installing cameras and suggestion boxes, reporting all forms of bullying installing cameras, bullying awareness campaigns, training staff and having bullying lessons in the school timetable were mentioned effective methods of eradicating all forms of bullying in all schools. However, the study recommends that, teachers and principals be staff developed on issues related to how bullying is understood in schools in relation to its causes, types, effects, general patterns and strategies to stop it in school. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive education)

South Africa has a dearth of deaf appropriate assistive resources – giving rise to deaf adolescents leaving school early and poor adult outcomes. These factors are negatively influenced by the interaction of other elements such as the inadequate cultural and social nurturing and lack of support. Approached from a bio-ecological model, to pro-actively address the support needed by deaf and hard-of-hearing persons to empower them to develop the capacity to withstand the challenges they have to endure, to stand up to and resist the negative ideas about what they are capable of. In this study, major risk factors were identified as communication deprivation and unpreparedness of parents to raise a deaf child appropriately where mediating factors were identified as social-emotional competence and deaf teaching assistants at South African Schools for the Deaf. The main findings of this study were that the need for early training of parents, access to Sign Language, deaf role models and social-emotional training in SA schools for the Deaf are proposed pathways to well-being. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

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)

Die doel van hierdie studie is om riglyne daar te stel vir die vroeë identifisering van talent wat die totale funksionering en konteks van die leerder in ag neem. ‘n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om die navorsing en teorieë wat met die onderwerp verband hou, te ondersoek. Die denkverskuiwing van intelligensie as een konstruk na ‘n multikonstrukbenadering wat uit onderliggende intellektuele vermoëns voortvloei, is verken. Definisies van begaafdheid en talent wat oor ‘n tydperk onstaan het, is omskryf en die rasionaal vir die gebruik van talent in plaas van begaafdheid is gegee. Die bio-ekologiese teorie van Bronfenbrenner, die positiewe sielkunde en die bate-gebaseerde benadering dien as teoretiese begronding van die studie. Talentontwikkeling en -identifisering is aan die orde gestel deur die liggaamlike, kognitiewe, sosiale, persoonlikheids-, emosionele en morele ontwikkeling van die adolessent te bespreek. Verder is die stand van talentidentifisering in Suid-Afrikaanse skole ondersoek en is aangedui in watter mate dit deur amptelike beleid gerig en ondersteun word. Beginsels wat tydens talentidentifisering in ag geneem moet word asook enkele identifiseringsmodelle wat ‘n bydrae tot die kennis van begaafdheid en talentidentifisering lewer, is bespreek. Verder is ‘n verskeidenheid talente wat uit algemene intellektuele intelligensie ontwikkel, aangedui. Die literatuurstudie het getoon dat daar nie in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse skoolbeleid direkte riglyne is vir die identifisering van adolessente leerders se talent nie. Die deurlopende klem op akademiese prestasie en die feit dat leerders teen ‘n graadgemiddeld geassesseer word, lei waarskynlik daartoe dat ander metodes van assessering nie altyd in Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers tot hul reg kom nie. Ten einde ‘n verskeidenheid talent te identifiseer en terselfdertyd ‘n leerder se konteks in ag te neem, is afsonderlike talentskale vir leerders, ouers en onderwysers ontwikkel en toegepas. Riglyne vir die identifisering van adolessente leerders se talent is dus op ‘n nie-formele manier ontwikkel. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat die talentidentifiseringsproses bewuswording van verskillende talente waaroor leerders beskik, kan bewerkstellig. Dit help leerders om hul selfkennis uit te brei en om ‘n denkverskuiwing van die erkenning van slegs akademiese talent na ‘n verskeidenheid van talentdomeine wat die uniekheid van elke leerder ontgin, te maak. / The purpose of this study was to formulate guidelines for the early identification of talent, taking into consideration the overall functioning and context of the learner. A literature review was done to investigate the research and theories on the topic. The mind shift from intelligence as one construct to a multiconstruct approach arising from underlying intellectual abilities was explored. The definitions of giftedness and talent, which have existing for some time, were presented and the rationale for using talent instead of giftedness was provided. Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological theory, positive psychology and the asset-based approach served as theoretical grounding for the study. Talent identification and development were established by discussing the physical, cognitive, social, personality, emotional and moral development of the adolescent. The state of talent identification in South African schools was also investigated, and an indication was given of the extent to which it is guided and supported by official policy. Principles to be considered in identifying talent and a few identification models that contribute to knowledge of giftedness and talent identification were discussed. A variety of talents developing from general intellectual intelligence were also highlighted. The literature review reveals that in the current South African school policy, there are no direct guidelines for identifying the talent of adolescent learners. The constant emphasis on academic performance and the fact that learners are assessed against a grade average probably lead to other methods of assessment not always coming into their own in South African classrooms. To identify a variety of talents and at the same time take into consideration a learner’s context, separate talent scales for learners, parents and educators were developed and applied. Guidelines for identifying the talent of adolescent learners have therefore been developed in a non-formal way. The findings of this study indicate that the talent identification process can lead to awareness of different talents of learners. This helps learners to expand their self-knowledge and to bring about a mind shift from the recognition of only academic talent to a variety of talent domains which reveal the uniqueness of each learner. / Injongo yalolu cwaningo ukwakha imihlahlandlela yokuhlonzwa kwekhono masinya, kubhekwa indlela umfundi ngamunye asebenza ngayo kanye nesimo angaphansi kwaso. Kwabhekwa imibhalo ukuze kuphenywe ngocwaningo nemibono yezinzululwazi ngaphansi kwalesi sihloko. Kwaphenywa ngokusuka endleleni yokubheka inhlakanipho njengendlela okuyiyona yodwa yokwakha kuyiwe ezindleleni ezihlukene kaningi zokwakha ezisukela emakhonweni obuhlakani acashe ngaphansi kwazo. Izincazelo zesiphiwo nekhono, esezibe khona isikhathi eside, zethulwa kwase kunikezwa izincazelo zokuthi kungani kusetshenziswa ikhono kunesiphiwo. Umbono kaBronfenbrenner wobudlelwano phakathi kwezinto eziphilayo kanye nendawo eziphila kuyo, izifundo zezengqondo zemiphumela emihle kanye nendlela yokubheka encike ekubeni nenani kwento konke kusebenza njengengqikithi yombono wenzululwazi yalolu cwaningo. Ukuhlonza kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwekhono kwasungulwa ngokubamba izingxoxo mayelana nokuthuthuka kwabantwana asebengena ezingeni lentsha ngokomzimba, ngokwengqondo, ngokwenhlalo, ngokwendlela yokuziphatha, ngokomoya nangokwesimilo. Isimo sokuhlonza ikhono ezikoleni zaseNingizimu Afrika naso sibhekiwe, kwanikezwa nesilinganiso sokuthi lingakanani izinga lokuholwa nokusingathwa yinqubomgomo esemthethweni. Imigomo okufanele ibhekwe ngesikhathi sokuhlonza ikhono kanye vii nezinye izibonelo ezingasiza olwazini lokuhlonza iziphiwo namakhono nayo yadingidwa. Izinhlobonhlobo zamakhono avela ebuhlakanini obujwayelekile obuhambisana nemicabango nazo zaqhakambiswa. Ucwaningo lwemibhalo luveze ukuthi kwinqubomgomo yamanje yaseNingizimu Afrika, ayikho imihlahlandlela eqondile yokuhlonza amakhono kubafundi asebengena ezingeni lentsha. Ukuqhubeka nokugcizelela ukwenza kahle kwezemfundo kanye nokuthi abafundi bahlolwa ngokwezilinganiso ezivamile zamabanga cishe kuholela kwezinye izindlela zokuhlola ezingafiki kwezifana nezabo emakilasini aseNingizimu Afrika. Ukuhlonza izinhlobonhlobo zamakhono kube futhi kubhekwa isimo somfundi, kwasungulwa futhi kwasetshenziswa izilinganiso ezihlukile zokukala amakhono abafundi, abazali nawothisha. Ngakho-ke, imihlahlandlela yokuhlonza ikhono labafundi asebengena ezingeni lentsha yakhiwe ngendlela engalandeli kakhulu umthetho kanye nokuhleleka. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo iveza ukuthi inqubo yokuhlonza amakhono ingaholela ekubonakaleni kwamakhono ahlukahlukene abafundi. Lokhu kusiza abafundi ukuba bakwazi ukwandisa ulwazi labo futhi benze kube khona ukucabanga ngokwahlukile ekwamukeleni kuphela ikhono lezemfundo kodwa kwamukelwe namakhono ahlukahlukene aveza ukwahluka komfundi ngamunye. / Department of Educational Psychology / D. Phil. (Educational Psychology)