Uitbranding as verskynsel was oorspronklik waargeneem by individue wat in hulpverlenings beroepe gestaan het, soos byvoorbeeld verpleegsters. Vandag word dit erken dat individue in enige beroep uitbranding kan ontwikkel. Dit is om hierdie rede dat navorsing oor die verband tussen uitbranding, begeestering, coping en lokus van kontrole van nagraadse studente toepaslik en noodsaaklik is, aangesien hulle die toekomstige werknemers van Suid Afrika is. Die doe1 van die navorsing is om die verband tussen uitbranding, begeestering, coping en lokus van kontrole van werkende nagraadse studente en nie-werkende nagraadse studente te bepaal. 'n Opname-ontwerp is gebruik vir die navorsing. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit (n=40) nagraadse studente in die Ingenieursfakulteit asook @=SO) nagraadse studente in die MBA klas van die Besigheidskool. Vier vraelyste is in hierdie empiriese navorsing gebruik, naamlik die Maslach Uitbrandingsvraelys - Algemene Opname (MBI-GS), die Utrech Work Engagement-Skaal (UWES), die COPE-Vraelys (COPE) en die Lokus van Kontrole- Inventark (LOC). Beskrywende statistiek is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Die resultate van die ondersoek dui daarop dat nagraadse studente 'n risiko loop vir uitbranding. Die resultate wys verder daarop dat die meeste nagraadse studente intern gemotiveer word en gebruik maak van aktiewe coping- strategieë om stres van die akademiese lewe te kan hanteer. Die resultate dui verder ook daarop dat 'n eksterne lokus van kontrole verband hou met hoe uitbrandingsimptome en passiewe coping- strategieë. Verdere aanduidings is dat hoe uitputting met 'n eksterne lokus van kontrole en hoe vlakke van sinisme korreleer. Toewyding en lewenskrag korreleer positief met interne lokus van kontrole en outonomie, en voorspel ook lae vlakke van uitputting en sinisme. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing is aan die hand gedoen. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Continuous changes in the security systems around the world, along with the increased pressure to perform may result in feelings of distrust, strain in interpersonal relations, psychological strain, fatigue and tension, all affecting the well-being of employees, especially among protection services members. Work wellness becomes an important aspect when focusing on the safety of people to whom the protection services delivers a service, as well as when the focus is on the safety of these members. Burnout and work engagement are specific focus areas in this regard. To measure burnout and work engagement, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments. Along with burnout and work engagement there are other focus areas that can have a direct influence on these dimensions, namely the perception of organisational politics. The impact of perceptions of organisational politics on burnout and work engagement can be moderated or mediated by sense of coherence. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between work wellness, organisational politics and sense of coherence through the development of a model of work wellness for protection services members comprising of burnout, work engagement, organisational politics and sense of coherence. The research method consists of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data. An availability sample (N = 341) from protection services members was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Perceptions of Organisational Politics (POPS), Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OTLQ) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS-programme and AMOS. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. vii Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a two factor model of burnout, consisting of burnout (exhaustion and cynicism) and professional efficacy which represented the data quite well after certain items were left out. In previous research among protection services members two factors in the UWES could also be extracted namely vigour/dedication and absorption. The MBI-GS and UWES both showed acceptable internal consistencies. The analysis of Pearson correlations in this study showed that burnout is negatively related to Vigour/dedication and sense of coherence. Professional efficacy is positively related to Vigour/dedication and absorption. Vigour/Dedication is positively related to absorption and sense of coherence. Prolonged exposure to things like criminal aspects, life-and-death decision making and general political behaviour at organisational level, can result in feelings of burnout. Negative perceptions of organisational politics resulted in higher levels of burnout experienced by protection services members. Sense of coherence mediated the effect of organisational politics on work wellness. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Academics in South Africa are being confronted with a work environment accumulated with job demands, often without corresponding increases in job resources. Job demands and job resources might affect the levels of work engagement of academics in higher education institutions. Therefore, research is needed regarding work engagement of academics and the relationship thereof with job demands and resources. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the UWES is a reliable and valid measure of work engagement for academic staff in universities in South Africa and to assess the relationships between work engagement, job demands and job resources. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population (N = 471) consisted of academic staff of the following universities: North-West University, University of Port Elizabeth and University of the Orange Free State. The UWES, Job-Demands-Resources Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire was administered. The reliability and validity of the measuring instruments were assessed with the use of Cronbach alpha coefficients, and exploratory factor analysis. Descriptive statistics (e.g. means and standard deviations) were used to analyse the data. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between job demands, job resources and work engagement. Principal component analysis resulted in a one-factor model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour/Engagement. This factor showed an acceptable alpha coefficient. Regarding the Job Demands-Resources Scale, five reliable factors were extracted, namely Organisational Support, Growth Opportunities, Communion, Overload and Job Insecurity. The correlation coefficients indicated that engagement is positively related to growth opportunities, organisational support and communion. A regression analysis with engagement as dependent variable indicated that organisational support and growth opportunities in the job were the best predictors of work engagement. Job resources predicted 46% of the variance in work engagement, but only two job resources, namely organisational support and growth opportunities showed statistically significant regression coefficients. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

ABSTRACT STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF ENGAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS: A DEWEYAN ANALYSIS OF AUTHENTICITY IN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS by Gloria D. Richards Perry This qualitative study of the nature of engagement in schools explored how students viewed the work assigned to them by their teachers. Using normative and theoretical frameworks, research was conducted to determine whether students found work to be authentic and engaging in the manner that Dewey proposes school work should be. Phenomenological interviews were used with individual participants as well as in a focus group session. Interviews and further questioning probed for information in order to gain a greater understanding of engagement from the student perspective. Furthermore, these methods afforded depth and richness that could further saturate the data. The research questions were: What do students identify as important factors that influence the degree to which they can be engaged in their learning experiences? As described by students, do the values, norms, and requirements that constitute school mirror similar elements of a student’s life outside of school? The analysis of participant responses supported the notion that these learners want their learning experiences to be personal, relevant, meaningful, and active. If they felt they were not getting these experiences, they shut down and/or turned the teacher off in their own head. These particular participants reported numerous examples of data that supported their need to be heard as students in the learning environment. They know what they want as learners and expect their teachers to provide the learning experiences they desire for their improvement. Participants in this study of engagement placed a high degree of emphasis on authentic learning. The data supported the notion that these participants want to have fun as they are learning but of far more importance, the data have shown they want their learning to be meaningful beyond the classroom setting.

The current study examined the experiences of adolescents considered to be at-risk for academic underachievement in an after-school reading intervention program (called the Vocabulary Learning Project, or VLP), with the goal of identifying the individual and social contextual factors that influence their engagement in the literacy intervention. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 adolescent participants post-intervention to gain their personal insights on relevant contextual experiences, resulting in the identification of key factors that are associated with student engagement at the behavioral, affective and cognitive levels. The findings from this study serve as an important indicator of some of the multiple influences on the literacy engagement of at-risk adolescents. This has implications for the design of future interventions developed for the purpose of improving the academic achievement, and ultimately the economic and personal advancement, of adolescents living in urban, marginalized settings.

This study explores how youth have inspired social change in Canada from 1978 to 2012. The objectives of the research include defining youth-led engagement in Canada, understanding its role as a change agent, and mapping the relationships between strategies and impacts. The goals of this study are to help current and future youth maximize opportunities that are likely to result in the greatest success, as well as increase opportunities for youth to be involved in decision making processes by validating their contributions. The research includes youth who effect change in a variety of contexts from across Canada. Data collection consists of an online media search and supplementary document reviews. A media content analysis methodology is applied to extract the data, while frequencies and cross tabulations in the form of chi-square tests were used to analyze them. The results show a strong relationship between strategies youth use and the impacts that follow. Further, the data show that youth have made some of their most frequent contributions by participating in political processes to address issues of equality, empowerment and social justice. Patterns between youth efforts and long-term changes in society are discussed, and the measurement of impacts is considered. This research measures three types of impacts youth have had on social change: individual, community/interorganizational, and systemic. It highlights the importance of institutionalizing the inclusion of youth as part of decision making processes in Canada, and validates the argument that youth have important contributions to make to our diverse society.

Public participation in the design and planning process aims to engage citizens in the local decision-making process. Although participation provides a multitude of benefits, significant physical, temporal and attitudinal barriers have limited its potential. Social media technologies have the potential to address these traditional barriers to participation. Little research has addressed the opportunities, challenges, and effectiveness of these technologies in traditional planning and design frameworks. The goal of this research was to explore and evaluate the role of social media as a participatory tool in the planning and design process using a multiple case study method. Interviews were conducted with representatives from municipalities and consulting firms to develop case histories for evaluation. Results suggest ways in which social media can be an effective participatory tool, and that the incorporation of social media into municipal and institutional settings, while creating uncertainty, can create opportunity for more authentic participation within governance.

Initially digital communication was used primarily as a digital advertisement. Digital communication has matured and serves a valuable role for politicians and governments alike, through such campaigns as Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s 2010 election campaign. Digital communications continue to be used for new means, including sharing information and fundraising, with increased levels of success. The historical challenge of engaging youth aged 18-30 in civic activity and the documented high adoption rates among youth of digital communication tools such as social media, smart phones and Web 2.0 has created opportunities to engage youth by entering their digital environments. The study explores Nenshi’s campaign as a case study, exploring primary and secondary data to assess the ability to engage youth through the implementation of a digital communication strategy.

This study explores how sustainability practitioners understand and engage with the subjective psychological dimensions of `social mobilization'. At this particular moment, there exists scant research into precisely how these dimensions are being theorized and incorporated into the practice of social mobilization, despite a growing recognition that environmental engagement necessarily involves the `inner life' of people--the complex and interconnected psycho-social influences on who we are and how we understand our world. Using a narrative methodology, I interviewed seven sustainability facilitators about how they are currently making meaning of social change and how subjectivity is represented within this. The analysis presents four distinct ways that psycho-social dimensions are being negotiated and related to in engagement work. This research indicates that being able to engage with subjectivity is not so much a technical skill that can be learned, but rather a new way of making meaning of the world, others, and oneself.

The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development (OICRD) Board of Directors is challenged to continue to provide the governance to allow the committee work that is occurring to continue and improve. This inquiry asked; how can shifting the governance model in the OICRD improve community engagement with sustainability planning and implementation? The research engaged the past chairs, current executive, essential member boards and committee members using an Organizational Action Research (OAR) methodology and focus group and survey research methods to complete the readiness for change cycle of the OAR model. The results illustrate that the four organizations that constitute the OICRD need to rediscover their interdependence and re-focus relationships between the four and the OICRD committees. The OICRD must build the physical and virtual infrastructure to engage members in order to generate meaningful possibilities, and employ new action research practices to move possibilities to action, report and celebrate successes.