Sport is a cultural phenomenon that has spread throughout the world (Harvey & Houle, 1994). For youth, sport is perceived as a context that can play a major role in person’s psychosocial development across their life-span (Danish, Petitpas, & Hale, 2007). However, despite the increase in research in this field, very little work has examined how sport may play a role in the psychosocial development of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID). Moreover, an area of study that has also grown related to the lived experiences of individuals living with a disability including ID is social inclusion (SI). Similar to research related to psychosocial development, very little research has been conducted to examine whether the context of sport can foster social inclusion for youth with ID. Special Olympics Canada (SOC) is an organization “dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with an intellectual disability through sport” (SOC, 2010, “SOC Mission Statement”, para.1) and may be an organization that has the potential to positively impact the lives of its youth participants. Thus, the purpose of this research was to examine whether stakeholders perceived SO as impacting the psychosocial development and social inclusion. The results indicated that SO, by all stakeholders, is perceived as an organization that is facilitating the psychosocial development of its athletes through the incorporation of strong social support networks and the development of life skills. In addition, SO was perceived as facilitating social inclusion for youth, particularly in the context of school and their surrounding community.

M.Ed. (Multicultural Education) / Adolescents are constantly expected to prepare themselves successfully to fit into a rapidly changing society. To be able to cope with rapidly changing circumstances and fit into a multicultural society, adolescents need to have certain knowledge, skills and attitudes. Adolescence is a time of life which is marked by rapid physical, social, emotional and intellectual changes. As adolescents are easily influenced during this period, it is of the utmost importance that they be taught content which will make it possible for them to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes by means of which to fulfil their social, cultural and economical functions within a multicultural societv. A life skills programme in which the multicultural nature of the school and society has been taken into account in selecting its content can be used to teach the adolescent such knowledge, skills and attitudes. The content of such a life skills programme has to meet the criteria applicable to a multicultural curriculum. These life skills can then be taught to adolescents in schools by means of a multicultural life skills programme. This study therefore attempts to identify criteria according to which the evaluation of content for a life skills programme which will be taught in schools in the South African multicultural society, can be undertaken. These criteria have been adapted to form a checklist which can be used by persons who have to evaluate the content of a life skills programme for a multicultural school and society. These criteria should only be seen as a guideline and should be used by persons with a sound knowledge of multicultural education.

All human beings are endowed with unique talents and potentialities, and are able to bring to life the hidden gifts or the talisman within them. Being in the prime of their lives, youth should be engaged in developing themselves, acquiring virtues, and striving for excellence. Reports from schools and other sources, however, indicate that many South African youth have become prey to various social ills, such as teenage pregnancy, violence, crime, and drugs and alcohol abuse, which inhibit them from achieving their talisman. In response to this situation, a life skills programme was designed to awaken the sense of talisman in youth. Believing that all human beings are gifted with special talents and potentialities, the Youth Enrichment Programme (YEP) aims to improve and transform the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of youth, thus bringing them closer to the state of talisman. The programme intends to equip youth with values and skills that improve their social, moral and cognitive behaviour, so that they can become responsible citizens in a united and peaceful society. It pays special attention to the moral and spiritual aspects of the learners, aspects severely neglected by most education systems. The principles of YEP are founded on the spiritual nature of man, the oneness of mankind, unity in diversity, and equality. The programme adopts transformational and multi-domain teaching strategies to transform learners through interactive critical assessment of values in the context of real-life moral and social issues. The main purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate YEP in terms of its influence on the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of adolescent learners and to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Various aspects of the programme were investigated, including its underlying theoretical principles, methodological approaches and design characteristics. The researcher evaluated the influence of the programme on the behaviour of adolescent learners in five institutions in two provinces. The qualitative and quantitative data from the learners, teachers and facilitators in the five case studies showed that the programme had a positive influence on the learners in the cognitive, social and moral domains. It broadened their view of life and developed problem solving skills in the cognitive domain, enhanced their communication skills and co-operation in social domain, and improved their general moral behaviour especially in the areas of trust and respect in the moral domain. Overall, the effect of the programme was most prominent in transforming the moral behaviour of the learners, bringing some of them closer to their state of talisman. The study also discovered three unexpected phenomena - the beneficial role of peer learning facilitation, the positive effect of facilitation on the young facilitators, and the salutary effect of the programme on the general learning atmosphere in the schools. All human beings are endowed with unique talents and potentialities, and are able to bring to life the hidden gifts or the talisman within them. Being in the prime of their lives, youth should be engaged in developing themselves, acquiring virtues, and striving for excellence. Reports from schools and other sources, however, indicate that many South African youth have become prey to various social ills, such as teenage pregnancy, violence, crime, and drugs and alcohol abuse, which inhibit them from achieving their talisman. In response to this situation, a life skills programme was designed to awaken the sense of talisman in youth. Believing that all human beings are gifted with special talents and potentialities, the Youth Enrichment Programme (YEP) aims to improve and transform the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of youth, thus bringing them closer to the state of talisman. The programme intends to equip youth with values and skills that improve their social, moral and cognitive behaviour, so that they can become responsible citizens in a united and peaceful society. It pays special attention to the moral and spiritual aspects of the learners, aspects severely neglected by most education systems. The principles of YEP are founded on the spiritual nature of man, the oneness of mankind, unity in diversity, and equality. The programme adopts transformational and multi-domain teaching strategies to transform learners through interactive critical assessment of values in the context of real-life moral and social issues. The main purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate YEP in terms of its influence on the cognitive, social, and moral behaviour of adolescent learners and to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Various aspects of the programme were investigated, including its underlying theoretical principles, methodological approaches and design characteristics. The researcher evaluated the influence of the programme on the behaviour of adolescent learners in five institutions in two provinces. The qualitative and quantitative data from the learners, teachers and facilitators in the five case studies showed that the programme had a positive influence on the learners in the cognitive, social and moral domains. It broadened their view of life and developed problem solving skills in the cognitive domain, enhanced their communication skills and co-operation in social domain, and improved their general moral behaviour especially in the areas of trust and respect in the moral domain. Overall, the effect of the programme was most prominent in transforming the moral behaviour of the learners, bringing some of them closer to their state of talisman. The study also discovered three unexpected phenomena - the beneficial role of peer learning facilitation, the positive effect of facilitation on the young facilitators, and the salutary effect of the programme on the general learning atmosphere in the schools. / Dissertation (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

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We examined military retirement. We sought to determine if preretirement planning, having knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are readily transferable, and being committed to, and/or identifying with, the Navy would affect the retirement satisfaction and adjustment of a retired naval officers sample. Results indicated that both planning and transferability influenced retirement satisfaction and adjustment, while organizational commitment and identification did not. Implications of our findings, as well as a brief overview of some general retirement issues are included.

This project grew from a desire to help students draw meaningful connections between education and future career aspirations.

This descriptive, statistical survey research design sought to identify factors that motivate individuals to stay crime free after serving time in prison. The purpose of this research study was to examine the factors that played a significant role in recidivism.

In this study the experiences of young people who engage in a gap year were explored. The focus of the study was on how the gap year influenced career decision-making. A case study design was used to gather information about the experiences of three young people who engaged in various types of gap years. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews, life-lines and collages created by the participants. They were also consulted throughout the research process and participated in the data analysis. Content analysis was applied to the gathered data, and various themes and sub-themes were identified. These were confirmed by the participants before the completion of the study. This study found that the value of the gap year may be in the personal growth that it facilitates, the time it allows people to take before finalising their decisions, and its impact on career maturity. The findings indicate that the gap year may help people to resolve their career indecision by providing opportunities to experience the world and gain self-knowledge, thereby becoming more career mature. This in turn leads to the ability to make a career decision. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Using ethnographic research in the form of an outcomes assessment, this project aims to unpack and evaluate the experiences of students and significance of the key concepts shared during the Live Algoma-Improvement Science course/and associated projects during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. Through the use of evaluative techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and a survey, I endeavor to both strengthen and inform the work Live Algoma is doing and highlight to the community and other stakeholders the valuable impact of this initiative on the students. As part of the Improvement Science course, students from the Algoma School District were trained on key concepts such as failing forward, PDSA, and ways of being to empower them to better handle individual project management, life challenges, and goal setting. While this project was expansive in overall scope, this outcome evaluation sought to understand the retention and internalization by program participants of key concepts imparted from the Improvement Science course and related projects. The findings provide strategic and targeted insights into the success of the course and opportunities for refinements in future Improvement Science courses and school and community projects with Live Algoma and the Algoma School District.