Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

With the remarkable increase in immigration since the passage of the 1965 Immigration Act, approximately one in five children in the United States has at least one foreign-born parent (Hernandez & Charney, 1998). This study was an investigation of how students’ perceptions of their parents shaped the kind and degree of motivational goal orientations that they adopted in their mathematics classroom taking students’ different cultural and ethnic backgrounds into account. In this study, students of different ethnic backgrounds enrolled in an American high school reported their achievement goal orientations and self-regulated motivations for their math class, as well as their perceptions of parents’ goals for them, parents’ motivating styles, and the classroom’s goal structures. A total of 138 9th grade Anglo American students and Asian American students were included in the data analyses. In path analyses, Anglo American and Asian American students’ goal orientations were predicted by their perceptions of their parents’ goals for them as well as their parents’ motivating styles, mediated by the students’ self-regulated motivation. For both Anglo American and Asian American students, autonomous self-regulated motivation predicted mastery goal orientation, and less autonomous self-regulated motivation predicted performance goal orientations. However, the students’ perceptions of parental influence from different ethnic/cultural backgrounds were different in predicting students’ self-regulated motivations. Interestingly, Asian American children’s perceptions of parents’ controlling style as well as parents’ autonomy support could predict their mastery goal adoption via identified regulation, and their perception of parental control even predicted their intrinsic regulation. It was also interesting to note that Asian American students’ perceptions of parents’ goal orientations for them predicted their own goals not only directly but also mediated by their self-regulated motivations, unlike Anglo American students whose perceptions of parents’ goals predicted their own goals only mediated by their self-regulated motivations. An integration of self-determination theory and goal theory is offered, broadening the application of these two theories to students of different ethnic/cultural backgrounds. / text

published_or_final_version / Asian Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study focuses on the exploration and analysis of Grade Elevens' perceptions of career choice and career information, within the Coastal region of the Durban Metropolitan area. The information about the scholars' perceptions was obtained through a structured questionnaire, with one hundred and twenty pupils who were purposively sampled from a simple random sample of public schools in the Coastal region of the Durban Metropolitan area. Both open-ended and closed-ended questions were used to gain access to their perceptions regarding career choice and career information. Tentative findings suggest that scholars generally have a narrow and simplistic conceptualisation of the term 'career', and that their understanding of the term as a life-long job is inaccurate and distorted. Consequently, teachers may need to help scholars re-conceptualise their notion of the career as a dynamic entity that is shaped by current economic, political, social and technological changes. It was also found that the majority of scholars have made a tentative career choice, which suggests the establishment of a personal, career-related identity. The findings indicate that scholars perceive the career information to which they have been exposed to be useful overall, in addition to being useful regarding its role in encouraging them to consider all possible careers, regardless of gender or culture. These findings, which contradict those of international research, seem to suggest that, in keeping with the current emphasis on national democracy in South Africa, scholars have been urged not to perceive their gender or culture as a barrier that would prevent them from pursuing their career of choice. However, cross-tabulations reveal that it is mainly girls who perceive the exploration of careers and career information in a positive light, while boys tend to hold a comparatively negative view. Girls also seemed to adopt more effective decision-making approaches in the process of choosing a career, compared to boys. Suggested interventions include greater accessibility to varied, possibly interactive forms of career information; for example, computer-aided career exploration, and that boys be encouraged to consult a wider range of career information sources. Although scholars have been formally exposed to career guidance, tentative findings reveal a need for a more holistic and informal approach to career choice and career information; one that is well integrated within the school curriculum. This would require that all teaching staff function as a team and develop role and functional flexibility, in order to help scholars adapt to changes in the learning environment, and to develop broad and integrated learning frameworks. Importantly, scholars are urged to take a pro-active role in their career exploration. Statistical analysis indicates that girls' career choices are generally unrestricted by gender-role stereotypes, suggesting a growing interest in careers previously perceived to be male-typed, although emphasis must be placed on the importance of making realistic choices. Furthermore, cross-tabulations reveal that race and career choice are not related, thereby reinforcing the validity of earlier tentative findings, which point to the existence of generally positive perceptions of career information, with regards to its usefulness in encouraging scholars to consider a full range of careers, regardless of culture or race. Further research into scholars' perceptions of career choice and career information through focus groups, with an emphasis on the changing career aspirations of girls, may serve to facilitate a deeper understanding of the issues and perceptions that either hinder or help scholars in the process of career choice. A thorough understanding of their perceptions and the factors that shape them is necessary in order to spearhead the development of educational programmes and workshops, the aim of which would be to ensure the holistic integration of these insights within the school curriculum. The rationale underpinning further research within this field, is that once scholars become aware of their distorted perceptions of career choice and career information, they will be empowered to change them. As a result, they will be equipped to make better informed career choices that are consistent with individual interests and abilities. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 2001.

This thesis reports on a critical literacy intervention with a grade 9 class the purpose of which was to raise awareness and change attitudes and perceptions towards gender. Texts are not neutral, and critical literacy is a way of examining a wide variety of texts in order to discern the values and ideologies behind them. In this way social inequalities and injustices are revealed and the reader is empowered to change the status quo (Janks 1993, 2001, 2010; Fairclough 1989 and 1992; Comber 2001 and others). At the same time their language and thinking skills should improve. Critical literacy is not separate from literacy, but rather an approach which raises awareness and facilitates critical engagement (Stevens and Bean 2007; Woodridge 2001). However, the ability to read effectively is important for the development of critical literacy (Sanders 1994; Hall 1998). Attitudes towards gender are socially constructed and deeply acculturated. Despite gender rights being protected under the South African Constitution (1996), and social justice issues such as gender empowerment being articulated in Curriculum 2005 this is not evident in schools where hegemonic masculinity and patriarchal attitudes manifest themselves in sexual harassment, gender violence and discrimination (Bhana 2005 and 2009; Morrell et al 2009). Changing these attitudes is difficult, but critical literacy offers an approach which can empower both boys and girls. This research used a mixed methods approach as this is flexible and allows for changes as the research progresses. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques have been used in order to achieve triangulation and complementarity. Triangulation verifies, while comlementarity is used to enhance, clarify and elaborate on, data collected from different sources. Thus the mixed methods research leads to greater validity and reliability than a single method. The findings of this research are threefold. The first is that a critical literacy approach is difficult to implement if learners have weak reading skills. In order to engage critically with texts learners need decoding skills and fluency (Rasinski et al. 2004; Morris and Gaffney 2011) as well as a range of skills such as the ability to draw inferences, make judgments, evaluate and analyse what they are reading. This research reveals that the learners in grade 9 do not have the requisite reading ability to engage meaningfully with critical literacy. Reading comprehension tasks are inadequately completed and they are reading at a level well below their chronological ages. Furthermore, few of them come from a background where books and reading is valued, therefore few of them read for pleasure. In addition, this deficit in reading affects their ability to decode visual texts in the form of advertisements effectively. Changing attitudes to gender is challenging as these are deeply acculturated in the school and the wider society (Morrell et al 2009). In class when the message being imparted goes against embedded cultural values the boys decline to participate; in less formal situations the boys display hegemonic masculinity indicating that they have greater power and status than girls. Although Curriculum 2005 gives a special place to social justice issues and critical literacy is one of the Language, Literacy and Communication specific outcomes, the learners in grade 9A do not appear to have meaningfully engaged with it, despite being the only group to have followed Curriculum 2005 since they entered school in grade 1. The results of this research suggest that reading is central to creative thinking and problem-solving and thus needs to be addressed across all school grades, learning areas and subjects. In addition, if gender equity is to be attained, the school and the wider community need to be involved and public role models have to be seen to lead the way. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

This research report looks into the factors that cause truancy among secondary school pupils. The aim is to establish ways in which the African Secondary School teachers can manage the problem. It is argued that the causes of truancy are multifaceted. Thus in attempting to understand these causes and to develop strategies to manage truancy, several approaches are considered, which focus on the individual truant, the family, the community and, in particular school, related factors. Empirical research was undertaken in the Galeshewe, Kimberley area with particular reference to Tlhomelang High School. Questionnaires were administered with the staff and interviews were conducted with both staff and pupils. Data was also obtained from official records. It is concluded that a major cause of truancy is the absence of a culture of teaching and learning. A number of recommendations are proposed to manage these problems. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.