D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (M.Tech.: Marketing)-Dept. of Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2007 x, 164 leaves / According to postpurchase behaviour theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions (i.e., beliefs, opinions). When an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviours (dissonance) occurs, some change must be made in order to eliminate this behaviour. In the case of a discrepancy between attitudes and behaviour, it is most likely that the attitude will change to accommodate the behaviour. The objective of this study is to determine the extent of post purchase behaviour amongst tertiary students, with specific reference to the Durban University of Technology.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Marketing)-Dept. of Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2007 x, 164 leaves / According to postpurchase behaviour theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions (i.e., beliefs, opinions). When an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviours (dissonance) occurs, some change must be made in order to eliminate this behaviour. In the case of a discrepancy between attitudes and behaviour, it is most likely that the attitude will change to accommodate the behaviour. The objective of this study is to determine the extent of post purchase behaviour amongst tertiary students, with specific reference to the Durban University of Technology.

M.Ed. (Curriculum Policy Evaluation) / The aim of this study is to investigate how successful undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds have managed their studies at the University of Johannesburg. It addresses the following main research question: How do successful undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds negotiate their performance at university? ’’Successful’’ denotes positive achievements in their development and academic performance. Snowball sampling was used: nine students were chosen in the Faculty of Education from the 2007-2012 student intake to participate in individual interview sessions. This study only considered students who had performed extremely well, and excluded any student who had failed any of their years. The data was collected through interviews, transcribed, coded, analysed and interpreted using an interpretive thematic lens. The themes which emerged showed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds brought different kinds of assets to those of the university’s average students. Consequently, their academic integration and success depended on these assets (capital). The first significant finding was that the background of these students equipped them with the ability to respond to the many and varied challenges in their educational environment so that they emerged as ‘victors’. Their backgrounds had moulded them. They had to cope with the academic rigours of a higher education institution: they were resilient, self-determined and intrinsically motivated. Their life experiences gave them ‘compensatory skills’ (coping mechanisms) which they used when confronted with educational difficulties. The second finding revealed that an understanding of their backgrounds more than adequately explained their success. These students had to negotiate their way through academia very differently. They had to make different choices when faced with the problems of who could help them or where they should go for assistance with their academic work (whether peers, lecturers, tutors or other people).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, 2012 / The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between binge eating disorder and personality traits. Studying personality characteristics may eventually enable us to identify individuals at heightened risk for developing binge eating, and to use this information to design more effective prevention and early intervention strategies. 138 females and 42 males participated in this study. Questionnaires using the EDI, EAT-26 and 16PF as well as an interview schedule were adopted for the study. Results revealed that there appeared to be a significant positive relationship between the EAT-26 and factor O (apprehension-self assured) and factor Q 4(tension-relaxed). There appears to be a significant positive relationship between the EDI and factor I (sensitive versus tough minded), factor L (suspicious versus accepting), factor O (insecure versus complacent) and factor Q4 (tense versus relaxed and easy going). Factor O (apprehension-self assured) appears to predict the scores obtained on the EAT-26 and the propensity to develop binge eating disorder. Factor O (insecure versus complacent) and Q4 (tense versus relaxed) were able to predict the scores on the EDI and the propensity to develop binge eating disorder. Secondary aims of the study revealed that there appears to be a relationship between body image disturbance and the total EAT-26 and EDI scores respectively. This means that participants scoring high on the body dissatisfaction subscale of the EDI will also score higher on the EAT-26 total. There appeared to be a positive relationship between gender of the participants and the total scores of the EAT-26 and EDI respectively. There were 2 interviews carried and the results of the interviews reinforced the quantitative data and previous research on binge eating disorder (Belangee et al, 2003) that personality traits are link to the development of binge eating disorder.

This research project aimed at exploring how masculinity is constructed and performed amongst young men who are students at University of KwaZulu Natal. This study was part of a larger SANPAD funded research project on South African masculinities. Seven participants between the ages of 18 and 25 were recruited from this institution; four Black, two White and one Coloured. Participants were given a disposable camera and were instructed to take photographs under the caption: “What is it like to be a young man in South Africa today”. A focus group discussion was conducted with the participants to explore constructions of masculinities based on the photographs they had taken. Photographs were analysed using content analysis and the focus group interview was analysed using thematic analysis. For the purpose of analysis, the 36 photographs were placed into 5 categories which were people, manmade objects, natural objects, animals and people and manmade objects. Content analysis revealed that the most common themes for the photographs were of cars, smoking, sports, drinking and women. Analysis of the themes from the focus group discussion revealed that the participants in the study had a clear understanding of how young men need to perform masculinity. In this regard they gave the following examples; young men play sport, young men drink, young men smoke, young men need to seek and attain success and respect, young men engage in heterosexual relationships, young men take responsibility, young men fight when the need arises and young men take initiative. The young men in this study drew on many strategies in constructing their masculinity, but mostly the strategies of hegemonic masculinity including compulsory heterosexuality, physical strength, violence and being a breadwinner. Race was an important factor in the construction of masculinity, particularly in sexuality and sport. Masculinity, it seems, is complex and is affirmed by other men. Young men who appear to have achieved a successful masculine identity amongst their peers are those who are successful financially and within the arena of sports, those men who are independent, reliable, strong and successful in their sexual prowess. These examples of the performance of masculinity echo the concepts of various masculinities, especially hegemonic masculinity. The findings of this study were examined from the perspective of various theories of masculinity, particularly the work of Connell. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

M.Ed. (Education and Curriculum Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Student throughput rates and academic achievement at universities are a concern at a national level in South Africa. Statistics have shown that on average, only ±17% of students who enrolled at a university, managed to graduate. The aim of the study was to determine the factors pertaining to student achievement and success in the first semester of the first year Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. This study was a longitudinal, observational study which incorporated only quantitative aspects. Factors included in the investigation were: student motivation; learning styles; prior academic achievement; language use and sources of financial support. In order to determine student motivation, an Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) was used. Learning styles were assessed using a Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) tool. The student’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) results were compared to the students 2016 semester one final marks, to correlate student readiness and prior academic achievement with current academic achievement. Home language and sources of financial support were also evaluated using a purpose-designed questionnaire. Results showed that only the Life Sciences module was practically and statistically significant as a predictor of academic success, with a p-value of .001 and a correlation coefficient |r| value of .369. The minimum entry requirements for the BPharm Degree do not include Life Science, however, based on this study, inclusion of Life Sciences at a specific achievement level should be considered.

The Rosenbaum Self Control Schedule is a self-report instrument developed to assess individual tendencies to apply self-control methods to the solution of behavioral problems. Tested on Hebrews and English-speaking Americans, it was found to transfer easily from one situation to the other. When administered in a battery of self-report questionnaires to South African university students it was found that while means of the total sample were similar to those reported overseas, the means of black and white students within the sample were significantly different from each other, with black students having higher self-control scores than the white students in the study and higher than those reported in previous studies. The study was repeated in this research project using a larger group of black students. The finding of significantly higher self-control scores was replicated. This finding was not due to response set, either acquiescence or social desirability, although black subjects were found to be more subject to social desirability response set. Distributions of the samples showed a group of low scoring white subjects for which there was no equal in the black sample. The findings suggest that black university students in South Africa have high levels of learned resoursefulness. This may be due to a selection process reflecting the relative difficulty with which black students reach university level - difficulties relating to student unrest, educational and financial limitations and economic and social drawbacks so that only those students with moderate to exceptional levels of problem solving stategy skills do succeed. Such individuals should be good candidates for cognitive therapies. Item and factor analyses showed the SCS to be psychometrically adequate for the white group but were much less conclusive for the black sample. In this group, a lower Cronbach's alpha was obtained and the factor analysis was less clear.

This treatise reports on a qualitative exploratory study that was aimed at identifying and describing the challenges experienced by single mothers who were students at a South African university. The researcher is of the view that single parenthood is a global challenge but very little has been done to explore this phenomenon in South Africa. A purposive convenience sample of four voluntary full time registered single mother students at a university in the Western Cape Province was utilised in the study. The participants ranged in age between eighteen and twenty three years and were English second language speakers. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with the four participants and the data were analysed into qualitative themes. The following main challenges for the sample of single mother university students emerged from the data: (i) Financial challenges. (ii) Concern for the general wellbeing of children. (iii) Difficulties regarding the separation of mother and child. (iv) The importance of tertiary education in finding future employment. (v) Dual role stress. Sub-themes within these main themes were also identified and discussed. Recommendations for future research, based on the findings of this study, are also offered.