No description available.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

This study investigated how active female hockey players at the high school, university/college, and national/elite levels perceive that the skills acquired in sport transfer to another career or other facets of their lives. One hundred and seventeen athletes were surveyed. The Transferable Skills Survey was comprised of four parts. Athletes provided responses that included general information, identity, career transition, and transferable skills. The findings indicate that there is a need for psychologists to be involved in the athletic career transition and that the best way to help female hockey players represented in this study may be to teach their parents the skills to assist their daughters through the career transition. Further, the findings reveal that transferable skills aid in successful career transition out of sport. / 142 leaves ; 29 cm. --

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2007. / A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Social Ecology). Includes bibliographies.

The specific problem of this study was to determine common characteristics of midlife professional, technical, and managerial workers who have made voluntary radical career changes, to identify positive and negative experiences faced by these individuals, and to identify coping strategies used by the career changer and families of the career changers. Data were gathered by the participant observation method of qualitative research. Twenty purposively selected career changers were interviewed using semi- structured interview questions. Questions were categorized as follows: personal background, schooling, career history, the career change, and after the career change. The interview sessions were tape recorded. Responses to the interview questions were assembled, codified, and examined for similarities. A profile of a middle-aged professional who has made a radical career change was developed. Excerpts from the profile follow. This individual: (a) is about 43 years old, (b) has worked in the same career for about 13 years prior to the change, (c) experienced no major traumatic event before the change, (d) received no assistance from a "help" agency during the time of change, (e) had few barriers to overcome in making the transition, (f) adjusted to the change with a minimum of effort, and (g) remained financially stable after the change. A major finding of the study was that 17 of the 20 subjects said they were better off psychologically after making the career change. / Ed. D.

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Afrikaans / A qualitative study was conducted on the causes of teacher attrition from urban schools in the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. Besides identifying the causes of attrition, the study intended to determine what needs to be changed to entice teachers who have left the profession to return. The rationale of the study was founded on the teacher shortage in South Africa and the alarming rate of teacher attrition from the profession, coupled with the growing number of learners needing education. Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, with a consideration of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, formed the conceptual framework of the research. Fourteen participants, comprising seven teachers who have left the profession from each province, were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to inform the findings. From the data analysis, five factors were identified as the main causes of attrition. Recommendations on what should be done to encourage a return to the profession were based on the identified causes of teacher attrition and input from the participants. / Kwenziwe ucwaningo lwe-qualitative ngezimbangela zokuncipha kothisha ezikoleni zaseGauteng kanye naseNtshonalanga Kapa eNingizimu Afrika. Nangaphandle kokubheka izimbangela zokuncipha kothisha, ucwaningo belunenhloso yokubheka izinguquko ezidingekayo ukuhuha othisha abashiye iprofeshini ukubuyela ezikoleni. Isizathu socwaningo bekuwukusweleka kothisha eNingizimu Afrika kanye nezinga eliphezulu lokuncipha kwabo ezikoleni okuhambisana nenani elikhulayo labafundi abadinga imfundo. Ithiyori ka-Albert Bandura ye-self-efficacy kanye ne-Maslow's hierarcy of needs zibe wuhlaka lomqondo wocwaningo. Kwenziwa ama-interview nababambiqhaza abayishumi nane, abebequka othisha abayisikhombisa asebeshiye iprofeshini kwiprovinsi ngayinye ebalulwe ngenhla, ngokusebenzisa ama-semistructured interview ukuthola imiphumela. Ngokulandela ulwazi oluhlaziyiwe, kuphawulwe izinto ezinhlanu njengezimbangela ezinkulu zokuncipha kothisha. Kwenziwe izincomo ngokuthi yini okumele kwenziwe ukukhuthaza othisha ukubuyela kwiprofeshini ngokulandela izimbangela zokuncipha kothisha kanye nemibono evela kulabo ababambe iqhaza. / Daar is ’n kwalitatiewe studie uitgevoer oor die oorsake van natuurlike poste-afname van onderwysers in stedelike skole in die provinsies van Gauteng en die Wes-Kaap in Suid-Afrika. Buiten om die oorsake van natuurlike poste-afname te identifiseer, was die doel van die studie om te bepaal watter veranderinge nodig is om onderwysers wat die beroep verlaat het, oor te haal om terug te keer. Die beweegrede vir die studie was die tekort aan onderwysers in Suid-Afrika en die skrikwekkende tempo van die natuurlike poste-afname van onderwysers, tesame met die toenemende aantal leerders wat onderrig benodig. Albert Bandura se selfdoeltreffendheidsteorie en Maslow se hiërargie van behoeftes het die konseptuele raamwerk van die navorsing gevorm. Daar is onderhoude gevoer met ’n totaal van 14 deelnemers, bestaande uit sewe onderwysers wat die beroep verlaat het in elkeen van die bogenoemde provinsies. Halfgestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik om die bevindings mee te deel. Uit die dataontleding is daar vyf faktore geïdentifiseer as die hoofoorsake van natuurlike poste-afname. Aanbevelings oor wat gedoen kan word om ’n terugkeer na die beroep aan te moedig is gebaseer op die geïdentifiseerde oorsake van natuurlike poste-afname en insette van die deelnemers. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Die studie handel oor die probleme wat veranderende werksomstandighede vir die werker en sy gesin veroorsaak. In 'n tydvak waar die wereld van werk dramaties verander, toon baie mense onkundigheid oor wat die veranderende wereld van werk impliseer. Hierdie veranderende wereld van werk vereis dat die werker groter verantwoordelikheid sal neem vir sy/haar eie loopbaantoekoms en -sekuriteit. 'n Loopbaan waar vaste ure, 'n vaste salaris, 'n pensioenfonds en ander byvoordele vanselfsprekend is, is in die veranderende wereld van werk nie meer die norm nie. Mense is nie voorbereid op veranderende werksomstandighede nie en ervaar verskeie probleme soos stres, 'n verswakte selfbeeld, depressie en 'n gevoel van magteloosheid. Die meeste mense wat blootgestel word aan veranderende werksomstandighede ervaar toekomsskok en hunker na die ou bedeling waar dinge seker en voorspelbaar was. Omdat persona blootgestel aan veranderende werksomstandighede nie voldoende op verandering voorberei word nie, ervaar hulle en hul gesinne probleme. Hulle probeer dikwels om so vinnig moontlik van die pyn en angstigheid wat met die verandering gepaard gaan, te ontsnap en neem daarom dikwels ondeurdagte besluite en voortydige aksies. Dit het dikwels mislukking tot gevolg wat verreikende ekonomiese en psigologiese implikasies mag inhou. Die begeleidingsprogram vir die studie is daarom ontwerp met die doel om aan gesinne wat blootgestel word aan veranderende werksomstandighede die nodige insig in die veranderende wereld van werk te gee, en om aan hulle die nodige vaardighede te gee om die probleme wat veranderinge meebring, te kan hanteer. Die persone en hulle gesinne word bemagtig deurdat aan hulle die begrip "portefeulje -werk" met die uitgangspunt dat almal altyd oor sekere bemarkbare vaardighede beskik, en daarom tegnies nooit werkloos hoef te wees nie, bekendgestel word. Daar word gepoog dat hulle hierdie konsep sal internaliseer en dat hulle daarom 'n paradigmaskuif sal maak sodat hulle meer op hulself en hulle eie vaardighede aangewese is as op eksterne faktore in die wereld van werk. Uit die terugvoergesprekke met die proefpersone aan die begin van die groepsessies en die vraelyste wat hulle voltooi het, blyk dit dat hulle gebaat het by die bywoning van die groepsessies. / This study deals with the problems experienced by a person and his/her family when faced with changing work circumstances. In a time where the world of work is undergoing dramatic changes, many people lack knowledge about the implications of the changing world of work. This changing world of work requires that the worker will take greater responsibility for his own career future and career security. A career where fixed work hours, a fixed salary, a pension fund and other benefits are a given, is no longer the norm in the changing world of work. People are not prepared to deal with changing work circumstances. They experience a variety of problems like stress, a poor self image and depression. Most people who are facing changing work circumstances experience future shock and long for the old times when things were certain and predictable. Persons and their families who are facing changing work circumstances are not sufficiently prepared for the changes. They often try to escape the pain and anxiety which accompany the changes by making quick decisions and by taking premature actions. This often leads to failure and has serious economic and psychological implications. The counselling programme for this study is thus designed with the purpose to give the families who are faced with changing work circumstances the necessary insight in the changing world of work, and to equip them with the necessary skills to deal with the problems which accompany the changes. The persons and their families are also empowered by introducing them to the concept "portfolio work". The implications of portfolio work is that people always have some marketable skills, and by marketing themselves and their skills they should technically never be unemployed. It is attempted to help the participants to internalise these concepts in order to make a paradigm shift so that they will be more self reliant and less dependent on employers in the world of work. From feedback with participants in the investigation at the beginning of the group sessions, and the questionnaires they completed, it seems that they have benefited from attending the group sessions. / Psychology of Education / Ph. D. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Text in English / This research investigated the ability of employees to survive experiences of major career changes and how they managed to build career resilience during the process. Adopting an action research approach, it continues to research the role the church can play in this process, suggesting ways in which the exponents of practical theology, and more specifically, pastoral ministries can extend their role into non- or de-institutionalised areas, becoming industrial or organisational pastoral professionals in their own right. The second research question investigated ways in which career resilience can improve agency in upholding values in the face of the employee exploitation onslaught? A narrative approach was used and discourses of ethics and power were discussed. It was indicated how these could be subjected to a process of deconstruction to create alternative and preferred career stories. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology - with specialisation in Pastoral Theraphy)

The post-modern economy has altered the career landscape – career trajectories are now far more fluid and unpredictable, punctuated by multiple occupational changes, increased job mobility and more frequent and increasingly difficult job transitions. Leaders are frequently ill-prepared for the changing world of work that is progressively dominated by self-managed careers. Taking on a new role is fraught with complexity - for the “chosen one” and for organisations. The implications of successful, failed or derailed job transitions can have strategic and other ramifications for organisations and individuals alike. This study explores the career transition experiences of and the usefulness of career transition executive coaching for eleven individual leaders from various South African organisations. It is a descriptive, explanatory and exploratory qualitative study, employing the systems psychodynamic paradigm, chosen because it focuses on depth psychology and is a developmentally oriented, psycho-educational organisational theory. The study adopted an interpretive stance for understanding leaders’ systemic conscious and unconscious behaviour. The ACIBART model helped to interpret the experiences of leaders in transition. These transitions involve the taking and making of a role, implying the loss which attends leaving a previous role, and adjustment to and being authorised in a new, unfamiliar role, including a liminal period of being “in between”. This inevitably produces an inner drama in which internalised past figures, possibly related to the new role, are brought back to life, and perhaps even amplified in the present. These “unconscious echoes” explain the powerful emotions that frequently attend transitions, especially at the so-called mid-life, and which in turn activate various defence mechanisms. The systems psychodynamic approach to career transition coaching was particularly useful in helping the participants identify personal patterns and link these to their past and thereby develop personal awareness and insight. The “coaching space” thus became a containing, “transitional space” where the participants could safely do the work required to make the adjustment to their new roles. Finally, recommendations to various stakeholders regarding the provision of systems psychodynamic coaching for leaders in career transition are made. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)