Unemployment among young, less-educated coloured individuals is a major problem in the community of Worcester in the Western Cape. The purpose of the research study is to gain in-depth insight into the impact of unemployment on psychological well-being among young coloured people in Worcester. The study is based on a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve unemployed, coloured persons in Worcester. The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 30 years, with the median age of 20.33 years. Purposive sampling and snowball techniques were used to select these unemployed young persons. Two instruments, a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide, were used to gather data on the research participants. The transcribed data were analysed by means of content thematic analysis and aided by thematic network analyses. The findings of the study suggest that unemployed participants experience negative feelings daily as a result of their unemployment. Some participants blamed themselves for previous mistakes that they had made, they feel a sense of failure to provide for their children's needs as parents, they expressed feelings of guilt or shame, and compared themselves with employed peers, which is indicative of low self-esteem. Furthermore, unemployment has a financial impact on participants which includes financial dependency on others, unemployment serving as a barrier to being able to fulfil future plans and aspirations as well as unemployment having an effect on the social life of participants in that participants appear to withdraw from social interaction and isolate themselves. For some participants there was a loss of a sense of purpose experiencing difficulties in structuring their time and generally spent their time with passive and purposeless activities. Despite being unemployed, certain other participants seek a sense of purpose and try to spend their time engaging in menial tasks or social activities. Participants expressed an overall positive attitude towards employment which includes regarding work as being very important as well as remaining optimistic about their chances of finding a job. Coping with unemployment daily emerged as one of the struggles experienced by the participants in the study. The process of coping with unemployment daily includes utilising a variety of coping strategies to manage their unemployment as well as to manage negative feelings that emerge from being unemployed. The coping strategies indicated by the participants include listening to music, sleeping, reading the Bible, and talking to their friends or family members. Participants also revealed that they needed and received two types of social support from family and friends to help them cope with their unemployment predicament; including a need for emotional support and a need for instrumental support. Participants in the study experienced judgment by community and family members daily because of their unemployed status which includes stigmatising comments. These comments are internalised by participants which may exert a negative impact on their psychological well-being. Limitations of the study includes, participants could have answered the questions of the semi-structured guide in a socially desirable manner as well as the audio-recorded interviews were transcribed into Afrikaans and translated into English and as such, some of the meaning of what the participants had said could have been lost in the translation process. Recommendations for further research includes exploring whether perceived support have a greater beneficial effect on the psychological well-being of unemployed individuals than received support, as well as the role such types of support play in coping with unemployment. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The present master thesis is an exploratory qualitative study in academic libraries regarding the transition from the integrated library systems to the next generation integrated library systems or library services platforms and the potential implications in their internal workflows. Nowadays, libraries all over the world are facing up with a number of challenges in terms of acquiring, describing and making available to the public all the resources, both printed and electronic, they manage. In particular, the academic libraries have more reasons to wish to fulfill their users’ needs since the majority of them use the library sources more and more for scientific research and educational purposes.In this study we attempt to explore the phenomenon in the globe using the available literature and to identify the implications in libraries’ workflows and the possible future developments. Moreover, through observation and semi-structured interviews we try to identify the current developments in the Greek context regarding the adoption of next ILS and possible implications in their workflows. Finally, we attempt a comparison between the Greek situation and the international one.

<p>External representations (ERs) used in science education are multimodal ensembles consisting of design elements to convey educational meanings to the audience. As an example of a dynamic ER, an animation presenting its content features (i.e., scientific concepts) via varying the feature’s depiction over time. A production team invited the dissertation author to inspect their creation of a biochemistry animation about the role of the actin cytoskeleton in cell motility and the animation’s implication on learning. To address this, the author developed a four-step methodology entitled the Multimodal Variation Analysis of Dynamic External Representations (MVADER) that deconstructs the animation’s content and design to inspect how each content feature is conveyed via the animation’s design elements.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>This dissertation research investigated the actin animation’s educational value and the MVADER’s utility in animation evaluation. The research design was guided by descriptive case study methodology and an integrated framework consisting of the variation theory, multimodal analysis, and visual analytics. As stated above, the animation was analyzed using MVADER. The development of the actin animation and the content features the production team members intended to convey via the animation were studied by analyzing the communication records between the members, observing the team meetings, and interviewing the members individually. Furthermore, students’ learning experiences from watching the animation were examined via semi-structured interviews coupled with post- storyboarding. Moreover, the instructions of MVADER and its applications in studying the actin animation were reviewed to determine the MVADER’s usefulness as an animation evaluation tool.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>Findings of this research indicate that the three educators in the production team intended the actin animation to convey forty-three content features to the undergraduate biology students. At least 50% of the student who participated in this thesis learned thirty-five of these forty-three (> 80%) features. Evidence suggests that the animation’s effectiveness to convey its features was associated with the features’ depiction time, the number of identified design elements applied to depict the features, and the features’ variation of depiction over time.</p><p><br></p><p>Additionally, one-third of the student participants made similar mistakes regarding two content features after watching the actin animation: the F-actin elongation and the F-actin crosslink structure in lamellipodia. The analysis reveals the animation’s potential design flaws that might have contributed to these common misconceptions. Furthermore, two disruptors to the creation process and the educational value of the actin animation were identified: the vagueness of the learning goals and the designer’s placement of the animation’s beauty over its reach to the learning goals. The vagueness of the learning goals hampered the narration scripting process. On the other hand, the designer’s prioritization of the animation’s aesthetic led to the inclusion of a “beauty shot” in the animation that caused students’ confusion.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>MVADER was used to examine the content, design, and their relationships in the actin animation at multiple aspects and granularities. The result of MVADER was compared with the students’ learning outcomes from watching the animation to identify the characteristics of content’s depiction that were constructive and disruptive to learning. These findings led to several practical recommendations to teach using the actin animation and create educational ERs.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>To conclude, this dissertation discloses the connections between the creation process, the content and design, and the educational implication of a biochemistry animation. It also introduces MVADER as a novel ER analysis tool to the education research and visualization communities. MVADER can be applied in various formats of static and dynamic ERs and beyond the disciplines of biology and chemistry.</p>

Text in Afrikaans. Abstracts in Afrikaans, English and Zulu / This study explored how nine adolescent learner-participants with cerebral palsy or other physical disabilities responded to an emotional support programme (EOP) of 20 intervention sessions, aimed at developing their emotional intelligence. The research study highlighted the utilisational value and importance of emotional intelligence, which is associated with problem-solving skills, career success, selfactualisation, stress management and the like. The rationale for compiling the EOP was in accordance with the rationale for the research study, being embedded in diverse learning needs, support for learners, and the design of learner opportunities. The study focused among others on the development and implementation of an EOP based on Bar-On as conceptual model (2000), together with the five core competencies of social and emotional learning (SEL), namely: responsible decision-making, emotional self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills. The Lions Quest SEL-programme, Skills for Adolescence, formed the basis of the EOP, although the researcher had to adapt it for her learner-participants’ special educational needs. The EOP was further extended with the knowledge obtained through the literature study regarding emotional intelligence and adolescence, and was aligned with the aims of the South African school curriculum in respect of emotional intelligence skills, as stated in the aims of the subject Life Skills. The researcher’s embedded, mixed-method research design allowed the larger qualitative component to include the smaller quantitative component, so that the specific phenomenon could be understood from different participants’ perspectives. Qualitative data was collected by means of metaphor interviews and collage activities. The quantitative research component of the study refers to the standardised Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV) together with the researcher’s own structured questionnaire. The researcher did not interpret the data obtained from the quantitative data collection instruments in isolation, but used it to expand and verify the results of her qualitative generated data. The integrated data results of the learner-participants brought the answer to the research problem: most of the adolescent learner-participants with special educational needs who had participated in the EOP, did indeed benefit through their involvement, and their emotional intelligence (the phenomenon under scrutiny) had improved. / Die studie ondersoek hoe nege adolessente leerder-deelnemers met serebrale en fisieke gestremdhede op ’n emosionele ondersteuningsprogram (EOP) van 20 intervensiesessies reageer met die doel om hulle emosionele intelligensie te ontwikkel. Die benuttingswaarde en belangrikheid van emosionele intelligensie word deur die navorsingstudie uitgelig. Hoë emosionele intelligensie word geassosieer met probleemoplossingsvaardighede, werksukses, selfverwesenliking en streshantering, onder andere. Die rasionaal vir die samestelling van die EOP stem ooreen met die rasionaal vir die navorsingstudie en is gevestig in uiteenlopende leerbehoeftes, ondersteuning aan leerders, en die skep van leergeleenthede. Die studie fokus op die samestelling en implementering van ’n emosionele ondersteuningsprogram (EOP) gebaseer op Bar-On (2000) se konstruk van emosionele intelligensie as konseptuele model van die studie saam met die vyf kernbevoegdhede van sosiale en emosionele leer (SEL), naamlik: verantwoordelike besluitneming, emosionele selfbewussyn, selfbestuur, sosiale bewussyn en verhoudingsvaardighede. Die Lions Quest SEL-program, Skills for Adolescence, vorm die grondslag van die EOP, alhoewel die navorser baie aanpassings vir haar leerder-deelnemers se spesiale onderwysbehoeftes moes maak. Die EOP is verder uitgebrei deur die kennis wat die navorser tydens die literatuurstudie ingewin het ten opsigte van emosionele intelligensie en adolessensie, en sluit aan by die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolkurrikulum-doelwitte wat verband hou met emosionele intelligensie-vaardighede soos uiteengesit in die doelwitte vir die vak Lewensvaardighede. Die navorser se ingebedde, gemengdemetode-navorsingsontwerp laat toe dat die groter kwalitatiewe komponent die kleiner kwantitatiewe komponent insluit, sodat die spesifieke fenomeen vanuit verskillende deelnemers se perspektiewe verstaan kon word. Kwalitatiewe data is deur middel van die metafooronderhoud en collage-aktiwiteit ingesamel. Die kwantitatiewe navorsingskomponent van die studie verwys na die gestandaardiseerde Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV) tesame met die navorser se eie gestruktureerde vraelys. Die navorser het die data wat sy uit die kwantitatiewe datainsamelingsinstrumente verkry het, nie net in isolasie geïnterpreteer nie, maar dit ook gebruik om die resultate van haar kwalitatief-gegenereerde data uit te brei en te verifieer. Die geïntegreerde data-resultate van die leerder-deelnemers bied die antwoord op die: die meerderheid van die adolessente leerderdeelnemers met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes wat aan die EOP deelgeneem het, het inderdaad gebaat by hulle deelname, en hulle emosionele intelligensie (die fenomeen wat ondersoek is) het verbeter. / Ucwaningo luhlola ukuthi ngabe ukuzibandakanya kwabafundi abangabadlalindima abayisishiyagalolunye abasesigabeni sobubhungu/sobutshitshi abakhubazeke ngokwengqondo noma ngayiphi indlela emzimbeni baphendule kanjani kuhlelo oluxhasa ngokommoya (emotional support programme) kumihlangano engama- 20 yokunceda, ehlose ekuqiniseni ubuhlakani bommoya. Isifundo socwaningo siveze ukubaluleka kokusebenzisa kanye nokubaluleka kobuhlakani bommoya, okuhambisana namakhono okuxazulula izinkinga, impumelelo yobizo lomsebenzi, ukuzibonakalisa, ukulawula ingcindezi yengqondo kanye nokunye. Isizathu sokuhlela i-ESP sasihambisana nenhloso yesifundo socwaningo, esitholakala kwizidingo zemfundo ezahlukahlukene, kanye nokuhleleka kwamathuba omfundi. Ucwaningo lubheke hlangana nokunye nokuthuthukiswa kanye nokusetshenziswa kohlelo lwe-ESP olususelwa ku-Bar-On njengemodeli yegama (2000), kanye namanye amacebo abalulekile amahlanu ohlelo lokufunda kwabantu kanye nokufunda ngokwemizwa (SEL), wona yilawa alandelayo: Ukumelana nezinqumo ozithethe, ukwazi imizwa yakho, ukuziphatha ngokwakho, ukuxwayiswa komphakathi kanye namakhono okwenza ubudlelwano. Uhlelo lwe- Lions Quest SEL, Skills for Adolescence, akha isisekelo se-ESP, yize umcwaningi kwakufanele aluguqule lolu hlelo ukwenzela ukuba luhambisane nezidingo ezikhethekile zemfundo yafundi abadlala indima. . Uhlelo lwe--ESP lwaqhubeka nokukhuliswa ngolwazi olwalutholakala ngocwaningo lombhalo wobuciko obumayelana nobuhlakani bokusebenzisa imizwa kanye nesigaba sobutshitshi/sobubhungu, kanti lolu hlelo lwaluhambisana nezinhloso zekharikhulami yezikole zaseNingizimu Afrika mayelana namakhono okusebenzisa obuhlakani bokusebenzisa imizwa, njengoba kushiwobkwizinhloso zesifundo samaKhono Empilo (Life Skills). Isakhiwo somcwaningi esequkethwe, sohlelo-oluvangene locwaningo siye savumela isigaba esikhulu socwaningo olugxile kukhwalithi (qualitative) ukuba sixube isigaba esincane esigxile kumanani (quantitative), ukuze kuzwisiseke uhlelo oluthize ngokwemiqondo yabadlalindima abehlukahlukene. Idatha yohlelo lwequalitative yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa izinhlolombono zokungathekisa kanye nemisebenzi yokuhlanganisa imifanekiso eminingi. Isigaba socwaningo olugxile kumanani sichaza uhlelo olufanayo lwe--Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQi:YV) kanye nemibhalo yemibuzo ehlelwe wumcwaningi. Umcwaningi akazange achaze idatha etholakele kumathuluzi okuqoqa idatha encike kumanani yodwa, kodwa le datha iye yasetshenziselwa ukukhulisa kanye nokuqinisekisa imiphumela yakhe eyakhiwe ngokwendlela yekhwalithi. Imiphumelo ehlangene yedatha yomfundi ongumdlalindima ilethe impendulo kwinkinga yocwaningo: Iningi labafundi abadlala indima abasesesigabeni sobubhungu/sobutshitshi abadinga imfundo ekhethekile abazibandakanye ohlelweni lwe-ESP, ngempela baye bazuza ngokuzibandakanya kwabo, kanti-ke izinga labo lokusebenzisa ikhono lobuhlakani bemizwa buye bathuthuka kakhulu (the phenomenon under scrutiny). / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inklusiewe Onderwys)