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HIV/AIDS has probably become the most dreadful of all diseases, as no other disease has managed to threaten civilization as HIV/AIDS. It is capable of destroying large sections of humanity (Schoub, 1999). South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, while KwaZulu-Natal is the worst affected province in this country (Kaufmann, 2004). There is a high incidence of HIV infection that is reported in younger people between the ages of 15 to 29 years, which suggests that many were infected in their teens. These statistics underline the central position that young people play in South Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic. Mandela (2005)2 states that in confronting the severe threat of HIV/AIDS, fellow South Africans have to jointly take responsibility to save this nation. The experiences in other countries have taught us that HIV infection can be prevented by investing in information and lifeskills development for the youth. This study focuses on the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS policy and HIV/AIDS and Lifeskills intervention programme at a public primary school in the South Durban region in KwaZulu-Natal. It examines: • The perceptions of the Life Orientation (LO) educators towards the HIV/AIDS policy and intervention programme. • The impact that the intervention programme has had on learner awareness and knowledge of the epidemic. The population consisted of 5 Life Orientation educators and 30 grade 7 learners. Information and data was gathered by qualitative methods viz: the use of semi-structured and focus group interviews. Some of the findings that emerged from the study suggest that: • The National HIV/AIDS policy and intervention programme is being implemented at the school. • The LO educators have a good knowledge and understanding of the contents of the National HIV/AIDS policy. However, training is lacking in the teaching of HIV/AIDS education. • The learners have a fairly sound knowledge about how the virus is transmitted and how it can be prevented. • Learners also have a positive attitude towards those with HIV/AIDS with regards to acceptance, providing assistance, showing them love, and respect and by being supportive. An important challenge faced by the school is to ensure that learners continue to receive salient information and knowledge about the epidemic and that educator's get the necessary training especially with counselling of learners who are infected and affected by the virus. This will help to enhance the quality of the teaching of HIV/AIDS and Life Skills education during the Life Orientation learning area. 2.President Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected Black president of South Africa, cited in the Foreword, in Abdool Karim and Abdool Karim (2005). / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The present study, based on Lazarus' cognitive theory, identified coping strategies utilized by psychiatric nurses, and examined correlations between social support, perceived threat and coping effectiveness. The correlational design utilized a convenience sample of registered nurses holding membership in the Indiana State Nurses' Association Council on Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Practice. Subjects completed a demographic sheet, Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Jalowiec Coping Scale, McNett Coping Effectiveness Questionnaire, and a one-item threat evaluation scale. Problem-focused coping was preferred by the sample. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between social support and coping effectiveness, a significant negative correlation between threat and coping effectiveness, and a non-significant negative correlation between social support and threat. Conclusions were psychiatric nurses utilize problem-focused coping strategies, there was a significant relationship betweeen social support and coping effectiveness, and threat and coping effectiveness, and a nonsignificant relationship between social support and threat. / School of Nursing

BABES (Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies) is a drug and alcohol prevention program designed to provide children with un-biased, non-judgemental information concerning alcohol and drug use. The program includes elements of social skills training and empowers children to make informed decisions.The purpose of this study was three-fold: to study the reliability of the BABES instrument, to investigate the effectiveness of the BABES program by administering the BABES instrument and to determine how children's knowledge levels were affected by the program.One hundred and five children were randomly selected from two local day care centers and from Head Start of Delaware County, Indiana. Consents were obtained for 61 children. Preschoolers from Head Start children and from one of the day care centers completed the Pre-Attitude Assessment Inventory and the BABES test. The Pre-AAI was administered prior to BABES and immediately following the prevention program, whereas the BABES test was given at both of those times and also during a two-week follow-up assessment. Children from the other day care center were utilized to check the reliability of the BABES instrument. They received the BABES test two times.A MANOVA was used to analyze the pre, post-test, and follow-up scores on the BABES test. In addition, difference scores were calculated for the Pre-AAI to determine if a knowledge gain was present, and finally, a Pearson R correlation was conducted to determine the test-retest reliability of the BABES instrument.The results showed that the BABES instrument appears to be a fairly reliable instrument and that the children participating in BABES learned more AOD related concepts as presented in BABES than those children who were not exposed to the prevention program. However, children in the experimental group also experienced a negative knowledge gain of different types and/or behaviors associated with AODs. / Institute for Wellness

This study investigated the efficacy of three different modes of teaching elementary school students identified as severely mentally handicapped. The modes of instruction used were one-to-one instruction, sequential group instruction, and combination concurrent/sequential. The skills trained with these methods were the operation of three recreation and leisure skills: a Spiromatic, a hand held pin ball game, and a radio. The modes of instruction were then compared on the basis of effectiveness, efficiency, and situational generalization.Three children, ages 7 to 11, from an elementary school classroom for students identified as severely and profoundly mentally handicapped were employed as subjects. Each of the three leisure skills were task analyzed and taught with a forward chaining procedure and a least-to-most intrusive form of prompting in the classroom setting.An alternating treatment design was used. The design consisted of three phases: baseline phase, experimental treatment phase, and application phase. During the experimental treatment phase the three treatment conditions were run in a counterbalanced order. The application phase involved applying the most effective training condition to teach the remainder of the three tasks to the participants.Both visual and statistical analyses were used to examine the data obtained. The split middle approach was employed to conduct the visual analysis. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance was used for the statistical analysis.Results of the analyses generally suggest that one-to -one instruction was superior in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. This was true for all subjects with the exception of one subject for whom one-to-one and sequential instruction were found to be equivalent in terms of effectiveness. However, the degree to which this method was better did vary among subjects. Situational generalization occurred equally with all three modes examined. / Department of Special Education

Globally there is a serious need to equip children and young people with knowledge, attitudes, skills and values to assist them in making healthy lifestyle choices. Life skills education is possibly among the most important answers to the problems and challenges many young people are faced with. Life skills programs are being developed to address the alarming increase in high risk health behaviours among adolescents. According to international research, Health promotion is a critical life skill to acquire, since health impacts on almost every facet of a person and their society. The South African Department of Education introduced Life Orientation as a Learning Area as part of Outcomes Based Education. The paramount role of Life Orientation within the context of the Health Promoting School is increasingly being recognised by educational planners, policy makers, school managers, teachers, parents and even learners themselves. Health promotion as part of Life Orientation aspires to promote a healthy lifestyle and equip learners with the knowledge and skills to attain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It further aims to reduce risk behaviours and equip learners with social skills. Empirical research was done in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. In order to give voice to teachers and health co-ordinators in terms of their views and comments on Life Orientation, questionnaires and focus group interviews were utilised. Based on the evidence gathered in questionnaires, discussions and observations in the selected Health Promoting Schools, it emerged that Life Orientation has a major role to play in instilling knowledge and skills to promote health and well-being. However, even though Health promotion is included in the Life Orientation curriculum, there seems to be a lack of energy and motivation to progress to Health Promoting Schools. It emerged that Life Orientation teachers viewed a healthy lifestyle as the link between Life Orientation and Health promotion, which is a positive indication that schools are making progress towards becoming Health Promoting Schools. Furthermore, the quantitative research revealed key issues that need be dealt with, especially proper water and sanitation, policies on tobacco and substance use, the enhancement of physical well-being of the learners and an integrated nutrition program. Schools need an effective safety and security plan to ensure a safe school environment conducive to teaching-and-learning. Learners should receive basic health screening with appropriate referrals from school nurses. Also, trained health promoters should oversee and manage the health promoting program in the Health Promoting School. The qualitative research indicated that healthy lifestyles are promoted, with particular focus on balanced diets, clean and hygienic environments and adequate physical activity. It emerged that stakeholders play an important role, including the community, school nurses, private companies and governmental departments. Community involvement is particularly important, since community members assist the school by cleaning, cooking, gardening and participating in health promoting awareness. It can be concluded that Life Orientation has a prominent role to play in the Health Promoting School. A successful initiative requires the involvement of the entire school, changes to the schools’ psychosocial environment and participation from the parents and wider community. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Globally there is a serious need to equip children and young people with knowledge, attitudes, skills and values to assist them in making healthy lifestyle choices. Life skills education is possibly among the most important answers to the problems and challenges many young people are faced with. Life skills programs are being developed to address the alarming increase in high risk health behaviours among adolescents. According to international research, Health promotion is a critical life skill to acquire, since health impacts on almost every facet of a person and their society. The South African Department of Education introduced Life Orientation as a Learning Area as part of Outcomes Based Education. The paramount role of Life Orientation within the context of the Health Promoting School is increasingly being recognised by educational planners, policy makers, school managers, teachers, parents and even learners themselves. Health promotion as part of Life Orientation aspires to promote a healthy lifestyle and equip learners with the knowledge and skills to attain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It further aims to reduce risk behaviours and equip learners with social skills. Empirical research was done in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. In order to give voice to teachers and health co-ordinators in terms of their views and comments on Life Orientation, questionnaires and focus group interviews were utilised. Based on the evidence gathered in questionnaires, discussions and observations in the selected Health Promoting Schools, it emerged that Life Orientation has a major role to play in instilling knowledge and skills to promote health and well-being. However, even though Health promotion is included in the Life Orientation curriculum, there seems to be a lack of energy and motivation to progress to Health Promoting Schools. It emerged that Life Orientation teachers viewed a healthy lifestyle as the link between Life Orientation and Health promotion, which is a positive indication that schools are making progress towards becoming Health Promoting Schools. Furthermore, the quantitative research revealed key issues that need be dealt with, especially proper water and sanitation, policies on tobacco and substance use, the enhancement of physical well-being of the learners and an integrated nutrition program. Schools need an effective safety and security plan to ensure a safe school environment conducive to teaching-and-learning. Learners should receive basic health screening with appropriate referrals from school nurses. Also, trained health promoters should oversee and manage the health promoting program in the Health Promoting School. The qualitative research indicated that healthy lifestyles are promoted, with particular focus on balanced diets, clean and hygienic environments and adequate physical activity. It emerged that stakeholders play an important role, including the community, school nurses, private companies and governmental departments. Community involvement is particularly important, since community members assist the school by cleaning, cooking, gardening and participating in health promoting awareness. It can be concluded that Life Orientation has a prominent role to play in the Health Promoting School. A successful initiative requires the involvement of the entire school, changes to the schools’ psychosocial environment and participation from the parents and wider community. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Adolescence can be described as a period of heightened vulnerability. The transition between childhood and adulthood encompasses challenges associated with the changes experienced in the various domains of development. Risk and opportunity are associated with adolescence and education with regard to dealing with these aspects of adolescent developmental change is critical. Life Skills Education promotes the acquisition of appropriate non-academic skills and behaviour that will empower the adolescent to lead a meaningful life. Life Orientation is South Africa's interpretation of Life Skills Education. This learning area is one of eight within the structure of Curriculum 2005. This study focuses on this specific learning area. The aim of this study was to determine the specific Life Orientation needs of Grade 9 learners and to assess whether the current Life Orientation curriculum meets these needs. The study also set out to establish whether the Life Orientation needs differed according to race and gender. The research consists of a literature and an empirical study. Primary and secondary literature resources, as well as, the Internet, were studied in order to achieve the aims of the study. Information studied was used to design a measuring instrument in the form of a survey. This measuring instrument is statistically valid and reliable. The empirical study was primarily descriptive and quantitative. The sample population comprised of Grade 9 learners from two mainstream English-medium schools in the Vaal Triangle. The findings of this study show that the Life Orientation needs of Grade 9 learners in this sample are largely met by the current curriculum, although a number of deficiencies do exist and recommendations with regard to the relevance of the curriculum have been made. No significant differences between gender and racial groups were found. Furthermore, the Life Orientation needs are practical and future-orientated. These needs reflect the skills required to cope with the socio-economic reality of modern day life in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2005.

Adolescence can be described as a period of heightened vulnerability. The transition between childhood and adulthood encompasses challenges associated with the changes experienced in the various domains of development. Risk and opportunity are associated with adolescence and education with regard to dealing with these aspects of adolescent developmental change is critical. Life Skills Education promotes the acquisition of appropriate non-academic skills and behaviour that will empower the adolescent to lead a meaningful life. Life Orientation is South Africa's interpretation of Life Skills Education. This learning area is one of eight within the structure of Curriculum 2005. This study focuses on this specific learning area. The aim of this study was to determine the specific Life Orientation needs of Grade 9 learners and to assess whether the current Life Orientation curriculum meets these needs. The study also set out to establish whether the Life Orientation needs differed according to race and gender. The research consists of a literature and an empirical study. Primary and secondary literature resources, as well as, the Internet, were studied in order to achieve the aims of the study. Information studied was used to design a measuring instrument in the form of a survey. This measuring instrument is statistically valid and reliable. The empirical study was primarily descriptive and quantitative. The sample population comprised of Grade 9 learners from two mainstream English-medium schools in the Vaal Triangle. The findings of this study show that the Life Orientation needs of Grade 9 learners in this sample are largely met by the current curriculum, although a number of deficiencies do exist and recommendations with regard to the relevance of the curriculum have been made. No significant differences between gender and racial groups were found. Furthermore, the Life Orientation needs are practical and future-orientated. These needs reflect the skills required to cope with the socio-economic reality of modern day life in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2005.