A research report submitted to the Discipline of Psychology in the School of Human and Community Development in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Education (Educational Psychology) in the faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2017 / The study aimed to explore the views of practicing educational psychologists on their roles and functions within the South African context. The main purpose of the study was to document demographic and descriptive data in relation to educational psychologists’ training, areas of work, and views of their roles and functions, within the context of changes in education policy and their professional practice in South Africa. The study used a descriptive survey design. One hundred and twenty seven respondents who were qualified educational psychologists completed a self- designed descriptive questionnaire. The findings of this study indicate that majority of educational psychologists in South Africa are practicing in a private practice capacity and majority service urban areas. Educational psychologists in this study highlighted three key areas of psychological intervention that they are engaged in, namely psycho-educational assessments, parent guidance, and child psychotherapy. Other key findings in this report highlight the gaps in training experienced by the respondents; the positive and negative aspects of the Education White Paper 6 policy as experienced by the respondents and their views on the educational psychology scope of practice. / XL2018

Because children have different needs and function differently from adults, special training for leaders of children's groups is required. Child group psychotherapy is a unique treatment modality and it requires specific facilitation skills. The primary objective of child group psychotherapy is to improve the child's immediate adaptation to his or her life situation, build ego strength and teach problem-solving skills. The aim of the study was to explore the knowledge, skills and attributes of facilitators of psychotherapeutic groups for children.

Because children have different needs and function differently from adults, special training for leaders of children's groups is required. Child group psychotherapy is a unique treatment modality and it requires specific facilitation skills. The primary objective of child group psychotherapy is to improve the child's immediate adaptation to his or her life situation, build ego strength and teach problem-solving skills. The aim of the study was to explore the knowledge, skills and attributes of facilitators of psychotherapeutic groups for children.

The extensive amount of research conducted internationally in the field of John Bowlby's attachment theory indicates that an insecure attachment between a child and the primary caregiver has a detrimental effect on both social and emotional development in childhood, as well as having a profound effect on psychological development and functioning in adulthood. The present study aimed to explore and describe the therapeutic process of a nine year old with an insecure attachment style within a therapeutic framework, namely Theraplay. The therapeutic process was embedded within Ann Jernberg's Theraplay framework and the case was further contextualized within Bowlby's attachment theory. The case study method was utilized with a purposive sampling technique employed to select the participant. Irving Alexander's content-analytic framework in conjunction with Guba's model of trustworthiness was employed for data analysis. Two needs emerged during the therapeutic process namely the need for nurturance and affection as well as the need for power, control and safety.

D.Ed. / The primary goal of this research is to describe a model for educational psychologists to guide the child in the informal housing community to deal constructively with anger. The rationale for the research is derived from changes in the South African society. In the struggle for survival, the child develops inappropriate ways of dealing with anger. The child's mental health is therefore endangered and through facilitative interaction the educational psychologist can support the child in developing skills in dealing constructively with anger. The study commences with a theoretical framework in which the suppositions of the research are discussed. The meta-theoretical suppositions, based on the theory of educational psychology for the whole person, phenomenology, educational philosophy and developmental psychology are discussed. Thereafter theoretical suppositions developed from the meta-theoretical suppositions are discussed. The theoretical suppositions are complemented by a chapter on the design of the research. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design and functional school of thought are followed. The principle of logic and justification for scientific research is answered from a postmodern perspective. The descriptive phenomenological method of Giorgi (1985:8-19) was used to conduct an in-depth exploration of the child's management of anger. Guba's model of trustworthiness (1985:201) - which was used and based on truth-value -applicability, consistency and neutrality is then discussed. Ethical precautions that were taken are discussed. The discussion of the research results is presented from the child's perspective - interviewing, observation and information are derived from documents during the course of twenty-one weeks. Eight children took part in exploring their management of anger. During the course of eleven weeks facilitative interaction supported by the Gestalt-therapeutical process of Oak!ander (1978:53-66; 2002:1-17) took place in a group context. Individual interviews were then conducted. The last six weeks were succeeded by informal sessions with soccer play as main activity. The children revealed how they experience difficulty in dealing with anger due to inadequate support and modelling in their interaction with the community in which they live. This was done by means of projective media. The child's predisposition in relation to anger is reflected in an external locus of control. It develops into a cycle of problematic management of anger. The research resulted in the development of a model for educational psychologists. The primary supposition of the model is that facilitative interaction supported by the Gestalttherapeutical process of Oaklander can aid the educational psychologist to guide the child between the age of eleven and twelve, to deal constructively with anger. In the process of facilitative interaction the child is supported to develop self-awareness, self-knowledge and self-regulation through which the child is enabled to deal with anger constructively. The development of the model is initiated by identification, definition and classification of central and associated concepts. The relationships between the concepts are drawn, involving the description of the model. This model is of particular significance to the child living in the informal housing community who has little access to mental health resources. A continued co-operative process involving the educational psychologist as interactive-facilitator consulting with community services and resources is brought about as the child's needs surrounding the issue of anger become apparent. This process not only benefits the child in question, but also serves as an educational opportunity involving the child's micro-, meso-, eco- and macro-systems in accepting the educative responsibility of supporting the child in dealing with anger, working towards self-regulation and mental health.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Youth form the foundation of society, hence physical as well as emotional stability are vital to their positive development. Currently the changing political and social situation in South Africa is closely associated with unrest and violence. This results in large numbers of black youths being exposed to traumatic incidences. Research indicates that trauma and its related stress can be a causative factor in the development of emotional disturbances and in particular the post traumatic stress disorder. In our new multicultural educational environment it has come to the attention of educational psychologists at educational aid centres that large numbers of traumatised black pupils are in need of assistance. The increasing numbers of traumatised pupils have serious emotional problems, and are now experiencing scholastic problems. The intention of the study was to develop a creative pedotherapeutic programme and to apply it with the purpose of reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms in black pupils. The point of departure of the programme was based on the assumption that the child always requires education. Hence any assistance can only be meaningful in a pedotherapeutic situation. The transcultural nature of the situation was taken into account when applying the programme. Possible obstructions and difficulties were anticipated and corrected by means of creative aid techniques. The programme was applied to four black standard five pupils enrolled at a Model 0 School in Johannesburg. By means of a structured questionnaire symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, were diagnosed. The creative pedotherapeutic aid programme was then applied during nine sessions extending over a period of nine weeks. The same questionnaire was later applied to determine the extent of the reduction of the stress symptoms. The test results indicated a reduction in intensity of several symptoms as well as symptom reduction in general. It was also reported that the scholastic performances of the four pupils had increased. A higher level of cognitive and emotional functioning was observed.

Text in Afrikaans / Loosit is a pastoral care model which may be applied to primary school children in South Africa and the use thereof is explored in this research project. Loosit consists of a series of plays as well as a discipleship program. These plays, humoristic yet contextually relevant to children, are done on a set resembling school toilets. Children are encouraged to write to the leading character, Uncle Jani Tor, and to post the letters in the `toilet` post box. Themes focused on in this project are problems with friends, social pressure, problems in the family and death. There is a specific focus on the ethics of Loosit as a model of pastoral care applicable to children. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Text in Afrikaans / Loosit is a pastoral care model which may be applied to primary school children in South Africa and the use thereof is explored in this research project. Loosit consists of a series of plays as well as a discipleship program. These plays, humoristic yet contextually relevant to children, are done on a set resembling school toilets. Children are encouraged to write to the leading character, Uncle Jani Tor, and to post the letters in the `toilet` post box. Themes focused on in this project are problems with friends, social pressure, problems in the family and death. There is a specific focus on the ethics of Loosit as a model of pastoral care applicable to children. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om deur die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie, adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, bewus te maak van hulself, ten einde hul toe te rus om hul lewenssituasie meer toereikend te hanteer. Daar is veral gefokus op die aspekte van die Gestaltterapeutiese proses wat die bewustheidsvlakke van die adolessente verhoog het. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik is die navorsing kwalitatief benader, spesifiek deur ‘n deeglike literatuurstudie en die beskrywing van individuele en groepsgevallestudies. Die informasie is ontleed deur die data-spiraal analise. Vanuit die informasie wat verkry is, deur die integrasie van die literatuur en die empiriese ondersoek, kon die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie met adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, verken en in diepte beskryf word. / The main purpose of this study was to utilize Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems, to make them aware of themselves, in order to equip them to handle their life situation more effectively. The focus were specifically on that aspects of the Gestalt therapeutic approach that increase the levels of awareness. In order to achieve this goal the research was approached qualitatively, specifically through a thorough literature study and the describing of individual and group case studies. The information was processed and analised by using the data-spiral analysis. From this information it was possible to explore and describe the utilization value of Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om deur die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie, adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, bewus te maak van hulself, ten einde hul toe te rus om hul lewenssituasie meer toereikend te hanteer. Daar is veral gefokus op die aspekte van die Gestaltterapeutiese proses wat die bewustheidsvlakke van die adolessente verhoog het. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik is die navorsing kwalitatief benader, spesifiek deur ‘n deeglike literatuurstudie en die beskrywing van individuele en groepsgevallestudies. Die informasie is ontleed deur die data-spiraal analise. Vanuit die informasie wat verkry is, deur die integrasie van die literatuur en die empiriese ondersoek, kon die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie met adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, verken en in diepte beskryf word. / The main purpose of this study was to utilize Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems, to make them aware of themselves, in order to equip them to handle their life situation more effectively. The focus were specifically on that aspects of the Gestalt therapeutic approach that increase the levels of awareness. In order to achieve this goal the research was approached qualitatively, specifically through a thorough literature study and the describing of individual and group case studies. The information was processed and analised by using the data-spiral analysis. From this information it was possible to explore and describe the utilization value of Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)