Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-50).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die wesentfike behoefte aan alternatiewe tugmaatreels vir die leergeremde adolessent na te vors en riglyne vir altematiewe tugmaatreels op te stel. Die sensitiewe aangeleentheid van disstplinering en tug word nou grootliks aan die onderwysers se inisiatief oorgelaat, en dit terwyl onderwysers nie altyd voldoende onderle is in die nuwe benadering tot alternatiewe dissiplineringsmetodes nie. 'n Teoretiese ondersoek wat uitgevoer is, het die belangriKheid van die inagneming van die leergeremde .adolessent se unieke persoonlikheidstrekke by die toepassing van dissipline beklemtoon. 'n Ernpiriese ondersoek is met behulp van vraelyste uitgevoer by ses spesiale skole in die Gauteng..provinsie. Die empiriese navorsing het bevestig dat onderwysers by hierdie skole 'n behoefte het aan altematiewe tugmaatreels vir die leergeremde adolessent. Op grond van die literatuurstudie en die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek, is riglyne verskaf vir die opstel van alternatiewe tugmaatreels. / The aim of the study was to identify the need for alternative disciplinary measures for the learning disabled adolescent, and to formulate guidelines for the implementation thereof. At present, the sensitive issue of discipline and punishment is left to the discretion of the individual teacher, who may not always be fully conversant with the new approach to alternative disciplinary measures. A theoretical investigation emphasised the importance of the unique personatity traits of the learning diSabled adolescent that should be considered when disciplinary measures are applied. An empirical investigation was carried out by means of a questionnaire at six special schools in the Gauteng Province. The empirical study confirmed that teachers at these schools do need alternative disciplinary measures for the learning disabled adolescent Based on the literature study and the results of the empirical investigation, guidelines were formulated for alternative disciplinary measures for the learning disabled adolescent. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Spesialisering in Voorligting)

This study focuses on the concept of resilience, and seeks to determine the nature, and role, of personal attributes in adolescents' ability to bounce back from life's blows, and continue determinedly along the path of self-actualisation. The personal attributes impacting on the ability to surmount life's challenges are delineated by an empirical study focussing on twenty learning-disabled adolescents, half of whom demonstrate resilience, and half of whom appear to have turned their backs on self-actualisation. The study aims to provide educational psychologists with an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of resilience, so that vulnerable youngsters might ultimately be therapeutically assisted to choose a more resilient attitude and behaviour. The results of the study delineate nine definite personal attributes which anchor resilience and promote self-actualisation, despite obstacle-ridden circumstances. Furthermore, results suggest that personal choice underlies resilience, implying that intervention targeted at inculcating resilience may well be a worthwhile exercise. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)

This study focused on influential factors affecting the career maturity attitudes of rural high school students with learning disabilities. A variety of variables were studied in each of the following areas: personal demographics, learning disability characteristics, ability/achievement levels, vocational preparation, and family characteristics. Variables from each of the clusters were entered into a variables selection program designed to depict the best combination of variables for use in a multiple regression equation. Through this process the twenty seven original variables were refined into a final combined pool of the eight most powerful variables which impacted upon the student's career maturity attitudes. The eight top contributors were entered into a multiple regression equation to determine their relative contributions to career maturity attitudes. Family appeared to play an important role in the career maturity attitudes of this sample as variables from the family cluster accounted for four of the eight variables selected for the final equation. Two of the those family variables were the family systems constructs of adaptability and cohesion, as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES II). To gain further insight regarding the impact of family dynamics on the functioning of students with learning disabilities, six stepwise multiple regression equations were also run, one for each scale of the Career Maturity Inventory-Attitude Scale. The results suggested a small but negative relationship exists between perceived family adaptability and career maturity attitudes. Students who perceived their families as less adaptable, or less flexible, tended to demonstrate higher career maturity attitudes. Cohesion, however, demonstrated a positive and stronger relationship, showing closer bonds among family members to be an important element supporting maturity in the student's career attitudes. / Ph. D.

This dissertation was initiated to investigate the preprimary teacher's role in identifying and assisting learning disabled preprimars. The literature section consists of a study of the normal process of child development and the phenomenon of learning disability and its manifestation in preprimars. The philosophy of inclusion and a number of existing programmes for learners with learning disabilities were examined. The empirical research assessed the responses of preprimary teachers from the Eastern Cape to a questionnaire, their experiences in dealing with preprimars with learning disabilities in a typical preprimary group were analyzed and a summary of the findings was made. Recommendations have been given to teachers regarding the identification of learning disabilities in preprimars, the assistance and support needed to enable the teacher to assist the learning disabled preprimar and the need for additional training to equip her to do so. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Orthopedagogics)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to identify and enhance specific resilience qualities within families having a child with a learning disability. The study was devided into two phases, namely the descriptive phase, which aimed to identify resilience qualities that enhance family adaptation in these families and an the intervention phase, which aimed to develop, implement and evaluate an intervention programme that enhances the utilization of family time and family routine, important qualities identified in the descriptive phase of this study. The study was essentially exploratory and descriptive in nature and directed to develop scientific knowledge and theory in the field of family resilience. The family system theory (Minuchin, 1974), serves as the theoretical departure point to determine the processes, factors and dynamics underlying the impact of learning disability on the family, while the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996, 2001) was operationalised to measure resilience qualities in terms of stressors, risk, protective factors and familiy adaptation. The 110 participants in the descriptive phase were identified according to the nature of the crisis (learning disability). The study focused mainly on families residing in the Western Cape, South Africa. Quantitative and qualitative measures of investigation were used for data collection. The quantitative results were predomently analysed according to correlation and regression analyses techniques, while the qualitative data was categorized according to themes and frequencies using content analysis. Twenty one of the 24 measured independent variables positively related to the dependent variable (family adjustment). The independent variables which related positively to the dependent variable included: family time and family routine, child routines, couple togetherness, sharing meals together, parent-child togetherness, relative connection, family chores, family management , family hardiness, family commitment, family challenges, locus of control, availability and mobilizing of community sources, faith, problemsolving skills and family communication. A randomized pretest-post test control group design was applied during the intervention phase of the study. The 47 participants were identified in the initial phase of the study. Data was again collected using quantitative and qualitative measures and was analysed using repeated measures of variance analysis, post-hoc Fisher Least Significant Differece analysis and content theory analysis. The results of the intervention phase indicated statistically significant change in family adaptation following the implementation of the workshop. The results implicated that the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996; 2001) may be used to map (outline) variables that are associated with family adjustment within families with a child with learning disabilites. The study opens new opportunities and possibilties for further research. Resilience factors are identified which promote family adaptation and an intervention programme was developed which can be adapted by other professionals wishing to initiate similar services. The value of such a proactive, well being orientated perpective is important within the South African context where sources and studies regarding family resilience factors and suitable intervention programmes, which involves families at risk, are limited. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om veerkragtigheidskwaliteite in gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn leergestremdheid te identifiseer en te bevorder. Die studie bestaan uit ʼn beskrywende fase, waar veerkragtigheidsfaktore geïdentifiseer is, en ʼn intervensiefase. Die doel met die intervensiefase was om ʼn program te ontwikkel en te evalueer waartydens een van die geïdentifiseerde veerkragtigheidsfaktore verder ontwikkel is ten einde gesinsaanpassing binne dié gesinne te verbeter. Gesinstyd en gesinsroetine is in die huidige studie as die veerkragtigheidsfaktor geïdentifiseer om gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn leergestremdheid by te staan met die aanpassingsproses. Hierdie studie was verkennend en beskrywend van aard en daarop gerig om by te dra tot wetenskaplike kennis oor gesinsveerkragtigheid. Gesinsisteemteorie (Minuchin,1974) dien as teoretiese vertrekpunt om die prosesse, faktore en dinamika wat verband hou met ʼn kind met ʼn leergestremdheid in ʼn gesin te verstaan, terwyl die Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996, 2001) geoperasionaliseer is om veerkragtigheidskenmerke te identifiseer in terme van stressors, risiko’s, beskermende faktore en gesinsaanpassing. Die 110 gesinne wat aan die beskrywende fase deelgeneem het, is op grond van die aard van die krisis (leergestremdheid) geïdentifiseer. In die studie is gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn leergestremdheid betrek wat woonagtig is in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe datainsamelingsmetodes is gebruik. Die kwantitatiewe data is ontleed met korrelasie- en regressietegnieke, terwyl die kwalitatiewe data met behulp van inhoudsontleding in temas en frekwensies gekategoriseer is. Van die 24 gemete onafhanklike veranderlikes het 21 statisties beduidend positief gekorreleer met die afhanklike veranderlike (gesinsaanpassing). Dit sluit gesinstyd en gesinsroetine, kind-roetines, egpaar-saamwees, gesamentlike etes, ouer-kind-saamwees, kontak met familie, gesinstake, gesinsbestuur, gesinsgehardheid, gesinstoewyding, gesinsuitdaging, lokus van kontrole, beskikbaarheid en mobilisering van gemeenskapsbronne, geloof, probleemoplossingsvaardighede en gesinskommunikasiepatrone in. ʼn Ewekansige voor- en nameting kontrolegroep navorsingsontwerp is tydens die intervensiefase van die studie gebruik. Tydens die beskrywende fase van die studie is 47 persone geïdentifiseer wat aangedui het dat hulle graag aan die intervensiefase van die studie wou deelneem. Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is ingesamel en ontleed met behulp van herhaalde-metingsvariansieontleding, Fisher post-hoc kleinste betekenisvolle verskil-ontledings en inhoudsontleding. Die resultate dui daarop dat gesinsaanpassing statisties beduidend oor tyd verander het. Dit is ʼn betekenisvolle bevinding en impliseer onder andere dat die Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996; 2001) gebruik kan word om veranderlikes te omlyn wat geassosieer kan word met gesinsaanpassing in gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn leergestremdheid. Die bevindinge skep nuwe geleenthede en moontlikhede vir verdere navorsing. Verskeie veerkragtigheidsfaktore wat in toekomstige navorsing verder beskryf of as intervensieprogramme ontwikkel en geëvalueer kan word, is geïdentifiseer. Die intervensieprogram wat in hierdie studie ontwikkel is, kan as vertrekpunt dien vir die ontwikkeling van soortgelyke intervensies. Die waarde van ʼn pro-aktiewe welwees-geörienteerde perspektief is belangrik binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks waar bronne en navorsing oor gesinsveerkragtigheidsfaktore en gepaste inteintervensieprogramme en gepaste intervensie-programme beperk is.

Purpose: To identify effects of variability of visual input on development of conceptual representations of academic concepts for students with normal language (NL) and language-learning disabilities (LLD). Method: Students with NL (n=38) and LLD (n=11) participated in a computer-based training for introductory biology course concepts. Participants were trained on half the concepts under a low-variability condition and half under a high-variability condition. Participants completed a post-test in which they were asked to identify and rate the accuracy of novel and trained visual representations of the concepts. We performed separate repeated measures ANOVAs to examine the accuracy of identification and ratings. Results: Participants were equally accurate on trained and novel items in the high-variability condition, but were less accurate on novel items only in the low-variability condition. The LLD group showed the same pattern as the NL group; they were just less accurate. Conclusions: Results indicated that high-variability visual input may facilitate the acquisition of academic concepts in both NL and LLD college students. Specifically, it may be beneficial for generalization to novel representations of concepts. Implicit learning methods may be harnessed by college courses to provide students with basic conceptual knowledge when entering courses or beginning new units.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

There has been much controversy concerning the comparability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJTCA). Previous research has raised the issue of a mean score discrepancy between the tests when used with the learning disabled. This study analyzed and compared performances on these two tests by re-evaluated and newly referred LD students and newly referred non-LD students. In addition, subtypes of LD students were formed on the basis of achievement test scores. These students' test performances were also analyzed and compared. The results of this study were consistent with previous research. The Full Scale scores from the two tests were highly correlated in all three groups, but the WISC-R was significantly higher than the WJTCA for each group. Across the identified LD subtypes there was a significant difference between the Full Scale scores from the two tests. However, meaningful patterns of strengths and weaknesses across aspects of cognitive functioning were not uncovered. These results indicate that the WISC-R and WJTCA result in significantly different estimates of the cognitive ability of LD and referred students. This difference can be attributed to a combination of three possible explanations--the effects of the use of non-random samples, the use of different norm groups when the tests were standardized, and the tests contain different content.