Die doel van die navorsing was om vanuit „n waarderingsperspektief 'n kwalitatiewe ondersoek te doen oor ouers se betrokkenheid by hul kinders se leerproses in 'n landelike omgewing. Die populasie het bestaan uit ouers met kinders in 'n primêre skool in 'n landelike omgewing, te Wellington. Inligting is bekom deur die voer van individuele onderhoude met ouers en 'n fokusgroeponderhoud. Data is ontleed en drie temas met subtemas en kategorieë is geïdentifiseer. Bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings is gemaak met betrekking tot ouers se betrokkenheid by hul kinders se leerproses. Daar is bevind dat ouers wel betrokke is by hul kinders se leerproses. Ten opsigte van hierdie navorsingstudie word tot die slotsom gekom dat die ouers deurentyd betrokke is by hul kinders se leerproses en hoë ideale vir hulle kinders koester. Ongeag lang werksure probeer hulle steeds betrokke wees. Die ouers wil graag vir hul kinders net die beste gee en koester beter beroepe vir hulle kinders. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Die doel van die navorsing was om vanuit „n waarderingsperspektief 'n kwalitatiewe ondersoek te doen oor ouers se betrokkenheid by hul kinders se leerproses in 'n landelike omgewing. Die populasie het bestaan uit ouers met kinders in 'n primêre skool in 'n landelike omgewing, te Wellington. Inligting is bekom deur die voer van individuele onderhoude met ouers en 'n fokusgroeponderhoud. Data is ontleed en drie temas met subtemas en kategorieë is geïdentifiseer. Bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings is gemaak met betrekking tot ouers se betrokkenheid by hul kinders se leerproses. Daar is bevind dat ouers wel betrokke is by hul kinders se leerproses. Ten opsigte van hierdie navorsingstudie word tot die slotsom gekom dat die ouers deurentyd betrokke is by hul kinders se leerproses en hoë ideale vir hulle kinders koester. Ongeag lang werksure probeer hulle steeds betrokke wees. Die ouers wil graag vir hul kinders net die beste gee en koester beter beroepe vir hulle kinders. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Seksuele misbruik van kinders is baie hoog in Suid-Afrika. Dit blyk dat seksuele misbruik van kinders in landelike gebiede nie aangemeld word nie. Die fokus van die studie was gemik op die persepsies van rolspelers aangaande die prosedures vir die aanmelding van seksuele misbruikte kinders in ʼn landelike gebied. Alternatiewe prosedures was voorgestel wat in landelike gebiede benut kan word om die aanmelding van seksuele misbruik van kinders aan te moedig. Die kwalitatiewe benadering was benut om rolspelers se ervarings en persepsies te beskryf. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude was gevoer om die doelwitte van die navorsing te bereik. 15 Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude was gevoer en die onderhoud skedule het gefokus op respondente se persepsies en ervarings oor aanmeldingsprosdures in die landelike gebied. Die resultate was verdeel in subtemas, en het gedui dat alternatiewe prosedures vir die aanmelding van seksuele misbruik van kinders nodig is in landelike gebiede. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Seksuele misbruik van kinders is baie hoog in Suid-Afrika. Dit blyk dat seksuele misbruik van kinders in landelike gebiede nie aangemeld word nie. Die fokus van die studie was gemik op die persepsies van rolspelers aangaande die prosedures vir die aanmelding van seksuele misbruikte kinders in ʼn landelike gebied. Alternatiewe prosedures was voorgestel wat in landelike gebiede benut kan word om die aanmelding van seksuele misbruik van kinders aan te moedig. Die kwalitatiewe benadering was benut om rolspelers se ervarings en persepsies te beskryf. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude was gevoer om die doelwitte van die navorsing te bereik. 15 Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude was gevoer en die onderhoud skedule het gefokus op respondente se persepsies en ervarings oor aanmeldingsprosdures in die landelike gebied. Die resultate was verdeel in subtemas, en het gedui dat alternatiewe prosedures vir die aanmelding van seksuele misbruik van kinders nodig is in landelike gebiede. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Functionally low-literate consumers may often struggle to complete everyday adult tasks, such as reading food labels. Food labels are an important source of information for consumers, and assist them to make informed and wise food purchase decisions. However, the manner in which functionally low-literate consumers read, understand and apply this information to their decisionmaking, is different to literate consumers, and minimal research has been conducted regarding functionally low-literate consumers and their use of food labels in South Africa. This study was conducted in a predominantly low-literate and low-income rural area of Valspan, South Africa. Therefore, using food labels to make healthy and financially sound food choices may be considered especially important for this group of consumers. The current study served to conduct an in-depth literature review of functionally low-literate consumers‟ use of food labels in a rural area; explore whether and how functionally low-literate consumers use (read, understand and apply to decision-making) food label information; explore and describe the differences between the demographic characteristics of low-literate consumers and their use (reading, understanding and application) of food labels; make recommendations to educators on how functionally low-literate consumers can improve their use of food labels in a rural area; as well as to make recommendations on how food labels can be adapted to be more user-friendly to functionally low-literate consumers. Data was collected, using 292 interviewer administrated questionnaires, using purposive criterion sampling. The inclusion criteria for respondents were that they: had to be older than 18 years, living in Valspan and must have completed between grades 5 and 8 at school. Data analysis was done, using descriptive statistics, T-tests, ANOVA‟s, Spearman‟s rank order correlations and two-way frequency tables. Effect sizes were taken into consideration for all differences and associations. The results showed that respondents in this study did read food labels. They were also able to understand some simple aspects of the food label, but struggled with other aspects. When respondents struggled to understand food labels, they were selective about who they would ask to assist them, favouring the help of familiar family members and friends. Regarding the respondents‟ ability to apply food label information to their decision-making, respondents were able to identify several store logos, probably due to their tendency to pictorial thinking. Food-related calculations were relatively well completed; however, certain calculation-related terminology was not well understood by respondents. Food label symbols were not well identified, indicating that respondents did not have a good understanding of the meaning of these symbols. Literacy is vital to the use of food labels, as respondents who showed higher literacy levels showed a tendency towards better understanding of food label information, food label symbols and store logos. They also tended to be better equipped to correctly execute product-related calculations. Regarding demographics, respondents who spoke English and Afrikaans and who had a higher income had a tendency to better understand food label information, than respondents who spoke other languages and belonged to lower-income groups. If food labels are adapted, so that even lowliterate consumers are able to efficiently use food labels, they will be able to make informed and wise food product choices. This situation would be beneficial to low-literate and low-income consumers, marketers and retailers, as products with usable labels may consequently become the preferred choice of low-literate consumers and money wary low-income consumers. Additionally, marketers and retailers would be able to capitalise on the mass purchasing power that this target market represents. / M. Consumer Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Functionally low-literate consumers may often struggle to complete everyday adult tasks, such as reading food labels. Food labels are an important source of information for consumers, and assist them to make informed and wise food purchase decisions. However, the manner in which functionally low-literate consumers read, understand and apply this information to their decisionmaking, is different to literate consumers, and minimal research has been conducted regarding functionally low-literate consumers and their use of food labels in South Africa. This study was conducted in a predominantly low-literate and low-income rural area of Valspan, South Africa. Therefore, using food labels to make healthy and financially sound food choices may be considered especially important for this group of consumers. The current study served to conduct an in-depth literature review of functionally low-literate consumers‟ use of food labels in a rural area; explore whether and how functionally low-literate consumers use (read, understand and apply to decision-making) food label information; explore and describe the differences between the demographic characteristics of low-literate consumers and their use (reading, understanding and application) of food labels; make recommendations to educators on how functionally low-literate consumers can improve their use of food labels in a rural area; as well as to make recommendations on how food labels can be adapted to be more user-friendly to functionally low-literate consumers. Data was collected, using 292 interviewer administrated questionnaires, using purposive criterion sampling. The inclusion criteria for respondents were that they: had to be older than 18 years, living in Valspan and must have completed between grades 5 and 8 at school. Data analysis was done, using descriptive statistics, T-tests, ANOVA‟s, Spearman‟s rank order correlations and two-way frequency tables. Effect sizes were taken into consideration for all differences and associations. The results showed that respondents in this study did read food labels. They were also able to understand some simple aspects of the food label, but struggled with other aspects. When respondents struggled to understand food labels, they were selective about who they would ask to assist them, favouring the help of familiar family members and friends. Regarding the respondents‟ ability to apply food label information to their decision-making, respondents were able to identify several store logos, probably due to their tendency to pictorial thinking. Food-related calculations were relatively well completed; however, certain calculation-related terminology was not well understood by respondents. Food label symbols were not well identified, indicating that respondents did not have a good understanding of the meaning of these symbols. Literacy is vital to the use of food labels, as respondents who showed higher literacy levels showed a tendency towards better understanding of food label information, food label symbols and store logos. They also tended to be better equipped to correctly execute product-related calculations. Regarding demographics, respondents who spoke English and Afrikaans and who had a higher income had a tendency to better understand food label information, than respondents who spoke other languages and belonged to lower-income groups. If food labels are adapted, so that even lowliterate consumers are able to efficiently use food labels, they will be able to make informed and wise food product choices. This situation would be beneficial to low-literate and low-income consumers, marketers and retailers, as products with usable labels may consequently become the preferred choice of low-literate consumers and money wary low-income consumers. Additionally, marketers and retailers would be able to capitalise on the mass purchasing power that this target market represents. / M. Consumer Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine how learner support has been implemented in rural, historically coloured, Afrikaans primary schools in a part of the Northern Cape, in particular with regard to what teachers, education administrators, parents and learners understand about learner support, the participants' understanding of learner support compared to the White Paper 6, to what extent schools agree and disagree in their implementation of learner support, and the indicators for realistic learner support in this context. This study made use of the conceptual framework of Transformative Inclusive Education. A qualitative research approach was followed. In this study the research design known as Appreciative Inquiry was used. Findings indicated that learner support is indeed implemented in this specific context. It is also clear that the participants have a good understanding of learner support which corresponds well with the policy position, namely that learner support entails academic support but also other developmental activities which all in the end benefit learners’ scholastic achievement. The schools agree in large part in their implementation of learner support and differ only where contextual differences dictate. The indicators for realistic learner support in this context include professional commitment, mutual dedication to each other by the school and the community, countering the potential negative effects of geographical isolation and building strong networks with external partners. / Thesis (MEd (Learner Support))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The purpose of this study was to determine how learner support has been implemented in rural, historically coloured, Afrikaans primary schools in a part of the Northern Cape, in particular with regard to what teachers, education administrators, parents and learners understand about learner support, the participants' understanding of learner support compared to the White Paper 6, to what extent schools agree and disagree in their implementation of learner support, and the indicators for realistic learner support in this context. This study made use of the conceptual framework of Transformative Inclusive Education. A qualitative research approach was followed. In this study the research design known as Appreciative Inquiry was used. Findings indicated that learner support is indeed implemented in this specific context. It is also clear that the participants have a good understanding of learner support which corresponds well with the policy position, namely that learner support entails academic support but also other developmental activities which all in the end benefit learners’ scholastic achievement. The schools agree in large part in their implementation of learner support and differ only where contextual differences dictate. The indicators for realistic learner support in this context include professional commitment, mutual dedication to each other by the school and the community, countering the potential negative effects of geographical isolation and building strong networks with external partners. / Thesis (MEd (Learner Support))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This study explored the effect of the Lifeplan® programme, an Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) initiative, on the psychological well–being of the rural community of Taung, in the North West Province of South Africa. A mixed method sequential explanatory research design was followed where quantitative data were obtained in a pre– and post–evaluation phase. Participants were adult individuals (N=99) between the ages of 20 and 83 years, with a mean age of 43 years, living within six rural towns in the Taung community. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental group (n=47) and a control group (n=52). Four standardised scales, the General Psychological Well–being Scale (GPWS) (Khumalo, Temane, & Wissing, 2010), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) (Kroenke, & Spitzer, 2002), the Coping Self–Efficacy Scale (CSE) (Chesney, Neilands, Chambers, Taylor, & Folkman, 2006), and the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC–SF) (Keyes, 2006; Keyes, Wissing, Potgieter, Temane, Kruger, & van Rooy, 2008), validated for use in a Setswana–speaking group, were administered to measure psychological well–being. Qualitative data were obtained through conducting semi–structured interviews with a simple random sample of 30 participants three months after presentation of the programme. The quantitative findings reflected a small increase in the general psychological and emotional well–being of the experimental group. Between–group comparisons showed small practical significant differences (d=0.19 - 0.40) in the experimental group on most of the measuring instruments. Qualitative results suggest that the participants in this study experienced the Lifeplan® programme as educational, and contributing positively towards their general well–being. Participants felt that they have become more attentive to their health needs especially through exercise, a healthier diet and better attendance to overall hygiene. Suggestions for further research and possible programme interventions include a follow–up study to evaluate the sustainability of skills obtained and changes made as a result of the Lifeplan® programme. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This study explored the effect of the Lifeplan® programme, an Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) initiative, on the psychological well–being of the rural community of Taung, in the North West Province of South Africa. A mixed method sequential explanatory research design was followed where quantitative data were obtained in a pre– and post–evaluation phase. Participants were adult individuals (N=99) between the ages of 20 and 83 years, with a mean age of 43 years, living within six rural towns in the Taung community. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental group (n=47) and a control group (n=52). Four standardised scales, the General Psychological Well–being Scale (GPWS) (Khumalo, Temane, & Wissing, 2010), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) (Kroenke, & Spitzer, 2002), the Coping Self–Efficacy Scale (CSE) (Chesney, Neilands, Chambers, Taylor, & Folkman, 2006), and the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC–SF) (Keyes, 2006; Keyes, Wissing, Potgieter, Temane, Kruger, & van Rooy, 2008), validated for use in a Setswana–speaking group, were administered to measure psychological well–being. Qualitative data were obtained through conducting semi–structured interviews with a simple random sample of 30 participants three months after presentation of the programme. The quantitative findings reflected a small increase in the general psychological and emotional well–being of the experimental group. Between–group comparisons showed small practical significant differences (d=0.19 - 0.40) in the experimental group on most of the measuring instruments. Qualitative results suggest that the participants in this study experienced the Lifeplan® programme as educational, and contributing positively towards their general well–being. Participants felt that they have become more attentive to their health needs especially through exercise, a healthier diet and better attendance to overall hygiene. Suggestions for further research and possible programme interventions include a follow–up study to evaluate the sustainability of skills obtained and changes made as a result of the Lifeplan® programme. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.