Psychometrists have to be capable of stimulating growth and of assisting employees during psychometric assessments, seeing that the content of the instruments used might bring about psychological trauma. Graduate psychometrists often lack the interpersonal skills and knowledge, as well as the intrapersonal awareness, to sufficiently fulfil a helping role in the workplace. The objectives of this research were to conceptualise helping and the competencies associated with helping from the literature, to investigate what the content and methodology of a helping skills training programme should include, and to evaluate the effects of a helping skills training programme for psychometrists. The participants were Industrial Psychology Honours students from the School of Human Resource Sciences at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. The entire population comprising 22 (N = 22) students were utilised. The stratified random sampling technique was used to divide the participants into the experimental and comparison groups. Three measuring instruments (Carkhuff scales, Personal Growth Initiative Scale and the Scales of Psychological Well-being) were administered before and after the training programme. The training programme in helping skills was administered to the experimental group first, where after their interpersonal skills and intrapersonal awareness were assessed during the post-tests. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, correlations and an Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyse the data. The ANCOVA analysis confirmed the statistical and practical significance of three core dimensions of helping, namely empathy, respect and genuineness among the members of the experimental group, as well as the improvement in the helping skills of Responding to content and Personalising meaning. However, the dimension of concreteness did not show significant improvement. There was also no statistical or practical significant differences between the experimental and comparison group for personal growth or psychological well-being. However, one dimension of psychological well-being, namely purpose in life, improved in the experimental group. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The overarching objective of this study was to develop and empirically evaluate an HIV and AIDS group work programme empowering adolescents to deal with the possible death of their parents/caregivers. This thesis comprised five sections: Section A contains the problem statement, research objectives and the procedures that were followed. Furthermore the limitations of this study were discussed, the definitions of key words were given and an exposition was given of the composition of the research report. The problem statement can be condensed as follows: The large and growing number of adolescents affected by HIV and AIDS makes knowledge concerning their needs essential so as to provide effective interventions. A better understanding of the emotional, social and health needs of adolescents of HIV-infected parents is essential. Responses to adolescents affected by HIV and AIDS should address their needs. Programme development must be done in response to adolescents' needs via their active participation in the entire process. The problem statement led to five research aims. The concurrent embedded strategy was used in this study and was implemented with a mixed method design model. Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously. Literature studies were conducted on the themes HIV and AIDS, adolescence, the needs of adolescents and group work. Section B consists of four articles that together formed the report on the research outcomes. Each article was a report on a particular sub-project of the research and had, as a self-contained unit, an own research aim, research method and report. Each article was linked to the central aim, the objectives and the content of the umbrella research project. The four articles were: > ARTICLE 1: A profile of adolescents' households infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS: A comprehensive profile of adolescents' households infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS was drafted, based on the results gained from interviews with and the completion of questionnaires by 169 households. Data collected and discussed included various demographic data regarding the households, their health and well-being, school attendance as well as information on child-headed households. > ARTICLE 2: The needs of adolescents in households infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS: The needs of adolescents whose caregivers are infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS were discussed. Various basic and developmental needs of adolescents were discussed as well as specific needs they may experience when their caregivers become infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS. > ARTICLE 3: An HIV and AIDS group work programme empowering adolescents to deal with the possible death of their parents/caregivers: An HIV and AIDS group work programme was developed, preparing adolescents for the death of their parents/caretakers and empowering them with skills to be able to deal with it. A needs assessment was done on a large number of adolescents from households infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS. The selection of members for this programme, as well as guidelines for group work with adolescents, were discussed. This article focused mainly on the themes and contents of the designed group work programme. > ARTICLE 4: The evaluation of an HIV and AIDS group work programme empowering adolescents for the possible death of their parents/caregivers: The programme was implemented with 8 adolescents in an experimental group and 8 adolescents in the control group. The Child Functioning Inventory High School (CFI-HIGH) and the Generalized Contentment Scale (GCS) were used as quantitative measuring instruments at two occasions with both groups. The experimental group was also qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated by means of a self-developed questionnaire. Section C provided a summary of the findings and conclusions of the research report in total and some recommendations are provided. Section D consisted of various addenda, such as questionnaires and measuring instruments that were used. Section E contained an integrated bibliography. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

An estimated 33.0 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Of these, 15.5 million are women, and 2.2 million children under the age of 5 years who have mainly been infected through mother-to-child transmission. Mothers and babies are increasingly infected and about 90% of these are in sub-Saharan Africa. The same trend can be identified in South Africa, which has one of the highest incidences and prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS in the world with 5-6 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Women of childbearing age constitute 55% of all HIV positive adults and a quarter of pregnant women (28%) in South Africa are HIV positive. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is overburdening hospital systems and it will continue to grow within the context of already massively overstretched public resources. This increase also impacts on health services in the North West Province which are facing an alarming increase in mothers and babies living with HIV/AIDS. One of the strategies that are implemented to reduce maternal deaths is the Prevention-of-Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Programme and massive roll out of Antiretrovirals during puerperium. One of the goals of the PMTCT programme is to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS from mothers to babies and reduce child, perinatal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This strategy is integrated with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) in care of mothers and babies living with HIV/AIDS during puerperium. Successful implementation of this programme requires social support and community involvement because of short hospitalization during the postnatal period. Caregivers are trained to perform various tasks and fulfil certain roles due to lack of human resources. Caregivers implementing the PMTCT programme experience problems which lead to stress and one of the causes of this stress manifests in feelings of inadequacy and isolation. They are faced with problems pertaining to mothers not adhering to treatment, and poverty is an additional source of stress as it negatively affects the quality of the PMTCT services they need to provide. This research was conducted in the Bojanala region, Rustenburg Sub-District of the North West Province in South Africa. A descriptive, exploratory, qualitative research design was utilized to explore and describe the lived experiences of caregivers while implementing the PMTCT programme as well as perceptions of health workers coordinating the PMTCT programme in order to gain a more thorough understanding of the support needed by caregivers during puerperium. Two populations were used. In population one, purposive sampling was used to select caregivers. In population two inclusive sampling was used to select health workers. In-depth interviews were conducted with both populations with the aim to collect data. From the research findings similarities were identified between the two populations regarding support, namely: (a) Caregivers need personal support in the form of counselling as well as support networks to enable them to deal with the problems they are faced with. (b) Caregivers need financial support to afford basic essentials and better remuneration to meet their financial needs. (c) Caregivers need to be trained in areas in which they lack knowledge -continued development and empowerment is essential. They also need to be trained specifically in PMTCT and they need a PMTCT consultant to always be available to support them. (d) Improvement of the PMTCT services by providing transport to follow up mothers, protective resources to protect themselves against infections as they are at risk of infections, water is essential as a basic human right, provision with food parcels to mothers who are poverty stricken and the PMTCT health services to be intensified from the antenatal period. (e) Management to establish a caring environment by displaying a caring attitude, respecting them and providing them with rewards to improve morale and performance. Recommendations were made for the fields of nursing education, nursing research and community health practice with recommendations to establish a structure of support for caregivers to enhance the PMTCT programme during puerperium. These recommendations were discussed under the five themes presented above. / Thesis (M.Cur.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

As South Africa is one of the countries with the highest HIVJAids prevalence in the world, many South Africans are affected by the pandemic. One of the structures being endangered by the HIVJAids pandemic is the education system. Educators are especially affected by the impact of the pandemic due to the fact that they not only have to cope with infected colleagues who are often absent, but are also burdened with numerous orphans and vulnerable children at their schools because of the pandemic. Sometimes these affected educators even have to care for their own loved ones who suffer from or die of the disease. The impact of the pandemic is personal stress, such as depression and suicidal ideation, plus professional impairment such as through increased workload and staff negativity. Affected educators are vulnerable, struggle to cope and are desperately in need of support, due to the pressure they experience regarding the pandemic. Current literature reports little support for educators affected by HIVJAids with regard to the personal and professional impact of the pandemic. This study focuses on determining the efficacy of REds (Resilient Educators), a support programme compiled to empower educators who are affected by HIVJAids, the implementation of which was also piloted by this study. A qualitative research design which included experimental and action research which focused on the latter (action research) was used. A purposive convenience sample consisting of eight volunteers from local primary schools participated. The researcher made use of a mixed-methods design for the pre and post-tests which included both qualitative and quantitative measuring instruments. REds was implemented over a period of nine consecutive weeks in a group setting and was continuously evaluated by the participants who proposed changes in order to improve the programme. In spite of being realistic about the obstacles they will face with regard to the HIVIAids pandemic, participants reported to be relieved, empowered and motivated to fight the effects of the pandemic. The quantitative results show some improvement in participants' experience of secondary trauma resulting from the impact of the pandemic. The results suggest that REds was efficacious, but that educators need continued support. Some modification of REds is also suggested action research affected impact. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2007.

This study was undertaken in an attempt to establish the cognitive development of student teachers and to determine the impact of Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment programme on the development and/or improvement of the cognitive skills of student teachers. A literature study was undertaken to highlight the importance and nature of thinking abilities necessary for learning, as well as the role of Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment programme in this regard. Explanatory mixed method research by means of testing, as well as a narrative analysis was employed. An empirical study with a pre-experimental research design in which intervention research was incorporated was conducted over a period of twelve weeks with twenty four second-year student teachers majoring in Mathematics. The students were randomly assigned to two groups. A pretest with the DAT-L test was administered to both groups to determine the extent of their thinking skills development. After the pre-test group 1 was exposed to intervention with the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment programme for a period of six weeks in an attempt to develop and/or improve thinking skills. After the intervention program group 1 was tested again with the DAT-L test in order to determine if the intervention programme had developed and/or improved thinking skills or not. After this, group 2 was exposed to intervention with the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment programme for a period of six weeks. After the six week period both groups were tested again with the DAT-L test to determine the impact of the intervention programme on the thinking skills of group 2 and to establish what happened to the thinking skills of group 1 during the period in which they were not exposed to the intervention. In support of the data gained through the test results, participants were requested to write up their perceptions of and experiences related to the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment programme in a narrative. The narratives were analysed and the results were utilized to support the data obtained with the quantitative study. Results indicated that room exists for improving the thinking skills of student teachers and that Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment programme possesses the latent potential to improve and develop thinking skills. The study is concluded with recommendations on how to develop and improve thinking skills. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Divorce is an ever-present phenomenon in society. This is also true for white Afrikaans-speaking adolescents. Some of these adolescents seem to cope resiliently with the risk inherent in divorce while others struggle to cope. I wanted to determine what protective factors and processes are present in the lives of white Afrikaans-speaking adolescents who do function resiliently. The aims of the study were to explain what adolescent resilience means, document the impact of divorce on adolescents, conduct an empirical study to determine what protective factors and processes contribute to resilience, and to develop resilience promoting guidelines in the form of a concept program for Life Orientation educators and other service providers who might encourage resilience among white Afrikaans-speaking adolescents from divorced families. The study followed the prescriptions of the International Youth Resilience Study (IYRS), which includes a triangulated mixed method design. An advisory panel drawn from the communities of the participants helped to develop site specific questions and to identify resilient and non-resilient white Afrikaans-speaking adolescents from divorced families from different schools in three provinces. In total, 64 participants completed the Child and Youth Resilience measure (CYRM) and ten resilient adolescents were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The resulting findings suggested that protective factors and processes inherent to the individual, relationships, the community and culture helped the resilient adolescents to cope adaptively with their parents' divorce. In line with more recent thinking, the findings confirmed that protective resources that encourage resilience are group-specific. Using the protective factors and processes identified by the participants, I compiled a concept programme to encourage adolescents from white Afrikaans-speaking divorced families to function more resiliently. The concept programme includes a ten-session, group intervention programme for adolescents and complementary workshops for their parents, educators, friends and community leaders. The concept programme was not implemented and so a future intervention study is recommended to test the concept programme. Future studies could also look at the relevance of the programme for adolescents from divorced families in other cultures. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

The aims of this research were to investigate, by means of both literature review and empirical research, the incidence and manifestation of conduct disorders among adolescents growing up in the Vaal Triangle townships, with a view to suggesting a psycho-social intervention programme to help them learn life-skills which will decrease their susceptibility to depression and anxiety. According to the literature findings, depression and anxiety co-occur with conduct disorders during adolescence. An intervention progamme can therefore help these learner adolescents develop effective coping skills to help them deal with environmental factors that cause stress, depression and anxiety. The findings from the literature review revealed that adolescence is the highest risk period for the onset of conduct disorders such as, inter alia, substance use disorders, aggressiveness, destruction of property, defiance of authority, frightening and disturbing of adults, fighting, bullying, lying, destructiveness and defiance. The conduct problems also include the more or less troublesome and involuntary behaviours commonly associated with adolescence such as tempertantrums, bouts of screaming and crying, surliness and episodes of commanding or pestering behaviour. The co-occurrence of depression, anxiety and conduct disorders in adolescents was, according to various researchers, also associated with more severe alcohol and drug-related problems, more prolonged depressive and anxiety episodes and increased frequency of behavioural problems, more severe impairment in interpersonal and academic competencies, increased utilization of mental health services, as well as elevated risk of suicide. The literature also revealed that the period of adolescence is also marked by conflicting feelings about security and independence, rapid physical changes, developing sexuality, peer pressure and self-consciousness. This becomes a time of rapid physiological and psychological changes, of intensive re -adjustment to the family, school, work and social life and of preparation for adult roles. These changes are noticeable for their conduct disorders and behavioural accompaniments, and problems arising at this time may attract attention because the adolescent"s conduct and behaviour become obtrusive in the school and the home or elsewhere and evoke a sense of urgency for response. Effective support programmes such as individual educational support and group educational support were regarded by the literature as having the efficacy to prevent the development of conduct disorders. The empirical research findings revealed that adolescent participants who formed the population sample of this research were aggressive; characterized by risky behaviour such as staying with friends until very late at night and coming to school carrying a knife and bullying other children in class; deceitfulness or theft which manifested in the form of stealing from other children's schoolbags, stealing food and pens, and lying; serious violation of rules such as being disruptive in class, bunking school, and not coming to school regularly, conflict with parents, educators and others which manifests in the form of always being in trouble for beating up other learners in class, especially those that are younger, and being rebellious at home, mood disruptions such as bursting in anger, aggressive, being happy one moment and then angry and sad the next, and poor performance at school resulting in failing grades. Recommendations for educational practice and further research were made. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

The objectives of this research were to investigate the lived experiences of parents who are suffering from the HIV/AIDS disease, investigate the lived experiences of children whose parents are suffering from the HIV/AIDS disease and propose an ecosystemic intervention programme for supporting children whose parents are suffering from the HIV/AIDS disease. The literature research investigation revealed that part of the burden that learners whose parents suffer from HIV/AIDS carry comes in the form of mental stress and experiences caused by, merely staying with a sick loved one whose condition deteriorates where hope of improvement was expected, prolonged sickness of a loved one, and witnessing the slow painful death of a loved one especially at home. These children often take on additional domestic tasks or care for sick relatives or younger siblings. The children's attendance can be compromised during this time. Their incentive to protect themselves against infection can be low when HIV is only one of many threats to health and life. Poverty may also breed low levels of respect for self and others, and thus a lack of incentive to value and protect lives. The mediating mechanisms act in ways which reduce the impact of risks, reduce negative chain reactions, maintain self-esteem and self-efficacy through relationships and task achievement and open opportunities for positive development. Findings from the empirical research reveal that parents who are HIV-positive are unemployable because of their ill-health, a situation which makes their families to leave in dire poverty. The parents often blame each other for their HIV-positive status sometimes as a way of relieving stress, but when these parents blame each other their children are caught in the cross-fire. Children of parents who suffer from HIV/AIDS are discriminated against and stigmatised by other children, friends and people from their communities. This situation affects these children both psychologically and emotionally. These children assume adult responsibilities at a very tender age, usually lack basic needs such as food, clothing, school uniform, school necessities etc. Their scholastic performance gets negatively affected because of lack concentration, not having enough time to do homework and being frequently absent from school. The children become vulnerable to verbal, emotional and physical abuse, do not get the necessary support they need from their family members, community, government institutions such as the Department of Health and in schools where they attend. These children do not seem to be coping with the circumstances they find themselves in especially if they are also HIV-positive. There is no communication between children of parents who suffer from HIV/AIDS and their parents concerning their experiences about the disease, how they feel and the future expectations. There is also no clear plan on what should these children do, in the case of their parents' death. At schools where these children attend there are no clear strategies to assist them to catch-up with their school work after a long absence and the children do not receive any work from school while they are at home sick or recuperating from illness as per the National Policy on HIV/AIDS. An ecosystemic programme is proposed in this research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

The objectives of this research were to investigate the experiences of adult basic education and training educators and learners in their teaching and learning centres; and to develop a humanistic programme infused with Batho-Pele principles for use in adult basic education and training in South Africa. Both the literature review and the qualitative empirical research methods were used to achieve these objectives. The literature review revealed that Batho-Pele is a South African public service initiative to get public servants to be service orientated, to strive for excellence in service delivery and to commit to continuous service delivery improvement. It allows South African citizens to hold public servants accountable for the level of services they deliver. These two statements make it clear that Batho-Pele is not an "add-on" activity, but it is a way of delivering services by putting citizens at the centre of public service planning and operations, which also means that Batho-Pele seeks to include all citizens for the achievement of a better-life-for-all through services and programmes of a democratic nature. The literature review also revealed that Batho-Pele encapsulates ubuntu/botho ideals. Interdependence, communalism, sensitivity towards others and caring for others are some of the aspects of ubuntu as a way of life. The community and belonging to a community is part of the essence of traditional African human life. Humanness is very important in Batho-Pele and Ubuntu way of life in the sense of seeing human needs, interests and dignity as fundamental to human existence. It was evident from the literature review proceedings that traditional Africans believed that these ideals are communally accepted and desirable ethical standards that a person acquires throughout his/her life. From the foregoing paragraph it is clear that for Batho-Pele service to succeed in communities, management culture in adult basic education and training centres in communities has to be changed to accommodate Batho-Pele as a way of life. This means that adult basic education and training centres should take stock of their educational values, as well as behaviours and attitudes of people they serve. In this way, adult basic education and training centres would then be able to take necessary steps to prepare their educators for the revitalized Batho-Pele Culture of responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness in delivering services to the adult learners. This research was conducted from an andragogical (an approach to education and training) based on assumptions of learner-as-adult) and ubuntugogical (an approach that emphasizes African way of life that promotes the common good of society and includes humanness as an essential element of human growth. An essential element of human growth, according to this approach, is that the community always comes first. The individual is born out of and into the community, therefore will always be part of the community) paradigms. A humanistic programme infused with Batho-Pele principles for use in adult basic education and training in South Africa was developed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

A shool-based support programme for the intermedediate learner wuth depression This study is aimed at determining whether a school-based support programme can aid the intermediate learner with depression in decreasing his depression levels. It focuses on: the world of experience of the intermediate learner with depression; the role of the school as an overall health-promoting environment; and the creation of a school-based support programme for the intermediate learner with depression. The learner (the intermediate learner included) spends most of the day at school, so the educator can play an important role in identifying and following up problems and getting the school to function as a health-promoting environment. South African schools are focused mainly on primary and tertiary intervention, while secondary intervention reveals a serious deficiency. In the empirical investigation, 16 intermediate learners who were identified with depression were, involved in a purposeful convenience test sample by means of the CDI questionnaire. There was an experimental and a control group of eight members respectively. According to the results of the pretestposttest, the school-based support programme in which the experimental group participated caused their depression levels to decrease significantly. The need for a school support programme for the intermediate learner with depression was validated from this point of view. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2005.