Developing personal goals by exploring options, establishing prosocial skills, exploring interests and applying good self-regulation practices early on in life, can amount to major benefits for children’s prospective professions (Paszkowska-Rogacz & Kabzińska, 2012). Numerous scholars emphasise the significance of and the need for early career counselling, as discussed by Härtung, Porfeli and Vondracek (2005), as well as by Watson and McMahon (2005). These scholars concluded that progress made during different stages of early childhood career development affects the choices that children make about the world of work and it also ensures identity development and interpersonal growth. Appropriate career advice can also assist school-going children to enhance their academic progress and to remain occupied in and engaged with education. The purpose of this study was to explore how life-design-based counselling influences Grade 7 learners’ academic self-construction. A qualitative, group-based intervention methodology was used to address the research questions. The intervention was based on the Career Interest Profile (CIP, Version 6) (Maree, 2017) and the life design counselling methods as discussed in Savickas et al. (2009). Non-probability, convenience sampling was used to select twelve Grade 7 learners, aged 12 and 13, to participate in this study. Themes and sub-themes were established, and Thematic Analysis was utilised to identify and analyse the data. Career development is a life-long process and young individuals should be supported and guided as they strive towards their goals. By making learners aware of future career aspirations, they were inspired to construct themselves more appropriately and re-consider perceptions and behaviours regarding schooling. Ultimately, academic self-construction was enhanced through the collaborate processes of life-design-based counselling. The possibilities for future research should assess the value of life-design-based counselling during early childhood development and the integration thereof within schools and the curriculum, so as to benefit the career development of young learners. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Educational Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

Cette étude de type ethnographique a été réalisée dans une Unité localisée pour l’inclusion scolaire (Ulis). Elle vise à décrire l’expérience scolaire d’élèves qui souffrent de « troubles des fonctions cognitives » (TFC). L’observation participante est le dispositif méthodologique central de cette thèse. Après une longue période exploratoire, les « malentendus » ont été retenus comme unités d’analyse privilégiées. La typologie des « malentendus » et leur analyse montrent que les spécificités de l’expérience scolaire de ces élèves sont plutôt des accentuations de ce que vivent les élèves de classes « ordinaires ». Les TFC n’entraînent pas des différences de nature, mais de degré, dans la transmission et l’acquisition des savoirs,comparativement aux élèves en grandes difficultés dans les classes « ordinaires », mais il apparaît que de nombreux jeunes de l’Unité rejettent leur statut d’élèves handicapés et vivent mal leur scolarité dans une Unité. La confrontation des regards avec les élèves de classes« ordinaires » et le rejet de quelques-uns d’entre eux amplifient parfois ce sentiment de mal être et conduisent des jeunes de l’Unité à masquer leur appartenance à l’Ulis. Enfin, les élèves scolarisés dans l’Unité et leur famille déploient souvent une énergie considérable pour éviter une orientation dans un Institut Médico-Professionnel (IMPro), ce qui est source de tension avec les représentants de l’institution. / The ethnographic field of research of this study was conducted in a “Unité localisée pour l’inclusion scolaire (Ulis)” (located unit for school inclusion) within the French national education system. The goal of this study is to describe the actual school-life of pupils who suffer from “cognitive disturbing functions”. Participating observation is the main methodological tool in this present thesis. After a long period of exploration, the“malentendus” are chosen as privileged units for analysis. The typology of these“malentendus” and their analyses show that the specificities of the very pupils’ schoolexperience are mainly the “accentuation”, the emphasis of what pupils of ordinary classes live. Cognitive disturbing functions do not lead to a difference of nature but to a difference of intensity in the transmission and in the acquisition of knowledge, in comparison with pupils who are in great difficulties in ordinary classes; it appears that numerous pupils of that Unit reject their handicapped status and dislike their school-life in this specific structure. The confrontation with the visions of ordinary class pupils and the rejection (the casting out) of some their schoolmates amplify sometimes this feeling of discomfort and ill-being; they also lead the pupils of this very structure to mask the fact they belong to these “located units for a school inclusion” (Ulis). To finish, the pupils of that very unit and their own families try to dotheir best to avoid their children and adolescents being advised or forced to enter a medicoprofessional institute (IMPro: specific schools and homes for intellectually handicapped and disabled youngsters).

1.- L'enquadrament d'aquest treball de recerca s'ha fet en i des de la praxis. EI que interessa és descobrir i proposar instruments pedagògics d'ajuda, assequibles i contextualitzats, especialment en el terreny de la comunicació i la interacció Educador-Educand.La metodologia que s'ha fet servir és de caire qualitatiu, etnogràfic, en un enfocament basat en la investigació-acció. La visió de la persona és volgudament holística; els sentiments, els significats, I' orientació personal, I' autodirecció. esdevenen elements centrals. La hipòtesi de treball, en la qual es fonamenta la recerca, podria formular-se així: 'En la pràctica, els Educadors, d'una forma més o menys reflexiva, perceben i interpreten el procés d'aprendre dels Educands; hi intervenen, el mediatitzen; n'avaluen la direcció i l'encert". A partir d'aquest supòsit, l'investigador veu convenient donar resposta a tres qüestions centrals: A) Com comprenem i interpretem els Educadors el procés d'aprendre dels Educands?; B) Quin tipus d'intervenció resultarà adient per promoure i/o facilitar l'aprendre?; C) Amb quins instruments i estratègies comptem per ajudar pedagògicament? 2.- Per llegir l'aprendre, l'investigador fa ús d'un model mental, indispensable per ordenar les dades de l'experiència. Convé, per tant, explicitar-lo, fer-ne ciència, coneixement compartit. En aquesta direcció de treball se li plantegen dos tipus d'interrogants: A) Quins són els elements comuns a qualsevol experiència d'aprenentatge?; Quina mena d'activitat o experiència personal desenvolupen tots els Educands; i B) Com es manifesta aquesta experiència? Amb quins indicadors? Quina mena de "text" llegeix l'Educador per orientar la seva intervenció d'ajuda? 3.- L'aprenentatge. en aquest treball, és considerat per l'investigador com la resultant de tres processos personals: el posicionament, l'estratègia i l'avaluació. Quan l'Educador vol compartir amb l'Educand el seu procés idiosincràtic d'aprendre, procura reconstruir amb ell aquestes tres accions bàsiques: A) Com es posiciona: què tem o desitja, què creu, què espera, quines expectatives viu, com es motiva?B) Quines són les seves pautes d'actuació: com treballa, com memoritza, com recupera la informació que té a la memòria, què fa davant d'un problema... ? C) Què busca; què és important per a ella; què pretén... ? 4.- Davant la complexitat dels missatges emesos per l'Educand l'investigador opta per llegir tres tipus de "textos": els productes i els resultats; les conductes; i els missatges parlats. Entre tots tres, pensa, podrà trobar elements i indicadors adequats per fonamentar, sempre hipotèticament, la seva actuació pedagògica. 5.- Procura sobretot detectar i fer existir els èxits, aquells productes i/o resultats que l'Educand troba valuosos, per tal d'ajudar-lo a prendre consciència dels seu repertori personal d'estratègies i capacitats. En aquest àmbit es proposen tres actituds o enfocaments del treball d'ajuda: A) El primer fa referència a la presa de consciència de l'estratègia personal, que s'amaga darrera el producte valorat. B) El segon apunta cap al respecte per l'estratègia que cadascú executa i, per tant, li és familiar. L'Educand la necessita. Es la seva. Es troba en la seva experiència, encara que no necessàriament existeixi en la seva construcció conscient.C) El tercer ,el duu a valorar l'estratègia d'acord amb les finalitats de l'Educand. La seva adequació es legitima pel que es proposa. Partim del supòsit que tota conducta es troba dirigida per un propòsit a vegades difícil de copsar i no sempre recomanable per a l'Educand. 6.- La conducta percebuda de l'Educand és entesa com un missatge, un conjunt d'indicadors de la seva activitat contextualitzada, interna i externa; missatge que, en relació amb altres, com els productes i les verbalitzacions, manifesta fragments dels seus significats, projectes, estratègies, valors. Es fa un èmfasi especial en les conductes "internes", els gestos mentals, l'acció interior, tramesa per mitja de microcomportaments sovint no conscient, i certificada per mitjà de la verbalització del viscut.7.- Parlar amb l'Educand suposa dues menes d'accions: escoltar i emetre. Escoltem per comprendre; emetem per perfilar la comprensió i també per ajudar. En l'emissió, el missatge pedagògic té dues funcions: a) rellançar i orientar el pensament i l'autoexploració de l'Educand; i b) influir per tal que desenvolupi amb èxit el seu projecte d'aprendre. Interessa d'una manera especial ajudar a integrar en la consciència de l'Educand aquests elements de la seva experiència que poden facilitar-li l'adquisició del coneixement. I entenem que, en aquesta empresa, la paraula i la interacció verbal poden tenir-hi un joc important. Per aquesta raó s'ha considerat necessari oferir un model d'anàlisi de la interacció i els missatges verbals. 8.- "Les persones aprenen sempre, amb recursos, processos i sistemes de valoració idiosincràtics, per fa qual cosa la seva orientació en el context esdevé un referent central en el disseny de l'ajuda pedagògica i en la seva avaluació". Aquesta és la hipòtesi de sortida per dissenyar la intervenció pedagògica. Tothom aprèn, inevitablement; la qüestió és quina cosa està aprenent i de quina manera els seus resultats d'ara són mediatitzats per l'experiència passada i, alhora, condicionen el seu aprendre futur. L'aprenent es posiciona, anticipa el procés d' aprendre, valora la seva. capacitat per desenvolupar-lo amb èxit, es motiva en una determinada direcció, d'acord amb la seva experiència, els seus aprenentatges anteriors. Executa estratègies, mostra un tipus d'intel·ligència, una forma personal de processar la informació. Pretén quelcom. És un sistema obert en relació amb el medi: hi ha uns valors que dirigeixen la seva presa de decisions. Utilitza uns criteris propis, una gamma personal d'opcions conscients. Avalua el que fa, el resultat que obté i la seva capacitat personal. 9.- L'ajuda pedagògica que I' autor proposa s'encamina sobretot a facilitar en l'Educand la descoberta dels seus propis recursos. Es tracta de portar-lo cap a la consideració atenta de la seva pròpia experiència, per amplificar-la i fer-la existir com a recurs conscient .Ha dibuixat i experimentat tres conjunts d'intervenció cadascun enfocat vers un àmbit de l'experiència d'aprendre, el qual col·loca com a prioritari, sense oblidar qualsevol dels altres que pugui ser rellevant, per comprendre o ajudar. A) Intervenció sobre el posicionament.En aquest àmbit enfoca l'estil de motivació que executa l'Educand, mira de corregir-lo, si cal, a partir de l'anàlisi i la comprensió de les seves formes de motivar-se quan ell viu l'èxit. Treballa proposant objectius paradoxals de fracàs gairebé impossible, buscant l'assoliment de petits èxits, potser aparentment insignificants, però estratègics; prescriu l'automatisme, per modificar-lo si l'Educand ho desitja; comprova el procés d'anticipació de I' experiència que l'aprenent es construeix per orientar-se; l'ajuda a contextualitzar anticipació i a fer ús dels seus Ilenguatges interns més eficaços i còmodes;...B) Intervenció sobre les estratègies i processos. En un segon enfocament, no necessàriament posterior al descrit, considera les estratègies de I'Educand, també a partir dels seus encerts i èxits. Mira de portar-lo cap a fa descripció i presa de consciència de les seves maneres de fer mes còmodes i segures, les que lliguen amb les seves preferències cerebrals. Quan viu dificultats, el convida a explorar les excepcions, els moments en els quals les seves realitzacions són satisfactòries. Pretén sobretot modificar les seves creences limitants, posant-lo en conflicte amb els fets de l'experiència. A vegades, caldrà facilitar l'adquisició d'estratègies i procediments nous que l'Educand considera plausibles. Es tracta específicament de fer existir opcions noves d'actuació per tal d'assolir allò que vol i/o necessita.C) Intervenció sobre el sistema de valors de l'Educand. L'Educand viu uns valors, els quals expliquen el seu món intern les conductes que realitza i els resultats que obté. Aquest àmbit és col·locat, en el model, al centre del procés d'aprendre. Hom actua amb propòsits determinats, no necessariament conscients. L'obertura de la persona a l'experiència d'aprendre es dirigeix segons criteris i valors irrenunciables. 10.- L 'Educador procura compartir els objectius de l'Educand i els seus projectes per assolir-los; vol tanmateix que se'n faci coneixedor i director responsable. Per a això li convé preguntar-se per quina mena d'experiència està desenvolupant i quin sentit ecològic te per a ell.L'Educador, el seu model del món, la seva persona, està compromès en el procés d'ajuda. No és només un tècnic que aplica recursos objectius. El seu model de comunicació, el seu pensament, les seves expectatives i anticipacions, tenen un pes considerable en el tipus d'intervenció pedagògica que durà a terme i, d'escreix, en el tipus d' aprenentatge que facilita. En la intervenció, l'Educador parteix d'una avaluació intencionadament positiva, centrada en els recursos i les solucions, en la metacognició i l'autoregulació dels processos, a partir de premisses que pressuposen l'èxit personal. / In this thesis, the author tries to build and assess a conceptual pattern in order to interpret the learning process and to orientate the design and execution of pedagogical help strategies. Attention is called upon the following kind of questions: How do people learn?; What kind of actions and processes are developed in our learning projects?; How does context influence us?; What kind of messages from others make progress and acquisition easier?; In which situations do we need help and/or orientation?; What kind of help?; By what kind of means..?The pattern is based on the conception of the learning process as a personal experience where meanings, emotions, values and interests are interlaced ; and action mostly directed by the learner and anchored in his/her own mental reconstruction of the environment and of himself/herself in the environment. The author identifies three types of indicators or "texts" by means of which the kind of personal management that people make in their own learning process are often manifested in an analogical or metaphorical way: products and results: the different behaviours or chains of actions, internal or external; and the verbalisation by means of which they communicate and communicate each other their experience. Each of these indicator groups asks the educator an specific kind of reading and punctuation. That is why the author offers a discussion about their semantics and their syntax so that the educator can "read them" and establish strategic and set in a context intervention hypothesis. The qualitative analysis of the types of indicators obliges the educator to regard learning as a consequence of an idiosyncratic experience which carries a lot of personal meanings, an action focused on the environment from the person point of view. To understand the results and behaviours of an experience, we need to question personal elements such as the learner's beliefs, values, his/her experience stored in his/her memory, his/her mental habits, .In an attempt to arrange the complexity of the learning experience and to be able to understand it, the author pays attention to the consideration of three types of action categories: A.- In any proposal or personal learning initiative, learners adopt an attitude, anticipate to the action. The value of the projected experience, their capacity for success; they motivate themselves with idiosyncratic languages... This first stage is not always conscious and planned. It becomes a determining factor in the learning management. What the pupil learns can be even the opposite of what it is being taught. B.- The learner makes a personal strategy in order to face the project, his/her way of answering, habitual, often independent and not always conscious; that is to say, when memorising, solving a problem, writing a text, creating an image, understanding a theory, etc. ... the learner develops a chain of actions, the suitability of which determines the kind of result he/she will have. C.- The learner assesses his/her own results according to his/her own personal values network, and he/she draws out personal and inner conclusions which will influence, from his/her memory, future attitudes. He/she observes and perceives selectively, which is important not to forget, so that he/she tends to emphasise the experience data that certify his/her presuppositions more than those that can be questioned. These three groups of actions are not necessarily developed in a consecutive way. In the attitude, assessment is prospective; the personal strategy can be unnoticed in the eyes of the learner, as if it did not exist; the kind of assessment will also condition the attitude; ... They are interdependent actions. An alteration in one of them will facilitate changes in the whole process. All together points out a definition of a pattern, a way of looking at the learning process and make a comprehension of it more or less adequate and efficient, not a "reality". The author regards the educator as an assistance professional, a collaborator on the learning and developing processes of the learner. In this collaboration work, the educator carries out different tasks: He/She reads and evaluates the experience data and makes out his/her orientated hypothesis; he/she designs the kind of educational intervention and he/she carries it out; he/she also assesses its success and efficiency. In order to orientate the educational task, the author looks for support and suggestions in the confluence of two knowledge ambits: on one hand he collects scientific concepts and theories from witch he makes out his starting hypothesis; on the other band, be contrasts his theoretical pattern with his own experience, his data, observations and hypothesis. This thesis owes a lot to the Humanist Psychology contributions, mixed bag of a lot of ideas and projects in the fields of Philosophy, Psychology, Communication, Organisation.; in the second place, it owes a lot to the conception of living as personal creation, as what Viktor FRANKL thinks about values, meanings, ... as in the modem theory of communication, mental maps, right brain languages ... ; in the third place, it also owes to an outstanding emphasis towards the comprehension process of the other person, as an active individual building ideas and values, guidelines and representations, in the line of Carl ROGERS and, although from another point of view, of Paul WATZLAWIC, Gregory BATESON, ... and not forgetting the contribution of experts such as Salvador MINUCHIN, Mara SELVINl, Virginia SATIR and others from the view of family advisers. In the design of the helping strategy, any resort or intervention framework adapted to the context and the project of the learner is used: conceptual resorts based on the Systemic thoughts, the Transactional Analysis, the orientation focused on the person. the GestaIt, the Cognitive approach, the Neurolinguistics Programme (PNL), the Mental Management. In conclusion, each educator is unique. The author thinks we will look in vain for a pedagogy valid for all, technologically applicable. We would waste time wondering "what should be like" or "what has to do" the educator. He thinks it is better to understand "what he/she does" and "how can he/she do it even better" from his/her personal orientation and his/her theoretical pattern. That is why be believes it is useful to have patterns working in the routine. And this routine is specific, set in context, linked to the phenomena complexity. He is interested in this concretion, although it means an important limitation in the capacity to make ideas general. Besides, routine is articulated according to spontaneous patterns, integrated in the educator "being". A pattern that is "carried out" and "comes out" in each one of the actions the educator carries out. Real and experienced contexts give us enough time for a quiet reasoning, and a conscious and a thought-out answer.

This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of culturally responsive child-centered play therapy when compared to a curriculum-based small group counseling intervention as a school-based intervention for Hispanic children experiencing behavioral problems that place them at risk for academic failure. Specifically, this study measured the effects of the experimental play therapy treatment, compared to Kids' Connection, on reducing Externalizing and Internalizing behavior problems of elementary school-age Hispanic children. Twenty-nine volunteer Hispanic children were randomized to the experimental group (n=15) or the comparison group (n=14). Subjects participated in a weekly 30 minute intervention for a period of 15 weeks. Pre- and posttest data were collected from parent and teachers using the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC). A two factor mixed repeated measures analysis of variance was computed for each hypothesis, to determine the statistical and practical significance of the difference in the pretest to posttest behavior scores of children in the two groups. According to parents' reports, the children receiving play therapy showed statistically significant decreases in externalizing behaviors problems, specifically conduct problems, and moderate improvements in their internalizing behavior problems, specifically anxiety. Teacher BASC results showed no statistical significance and negligible-to- small practical significance between the two groups at posttest as a result of treatment; however, problems with integrity of data collection of teacher BASCs were noted. This study determined that, according to parents' reports, culturally responsive child-centered play therapy is an effective intervention for school-aged, Hispanic children referred for behavioral problems that have been shown to place them at risk for both academic failure and future, more serious mental health problems. Additionally, culturally responsive considerations regarding counseling Hispanic children and families were explored. This was a progressive research study that, according to a review of the literature, is the first of its kind to focus on the effects of culturally responsive child-centered play therapy treatment with Hispanic, Spanish-speaking children.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of equine assisted group counseling as compared to in-school curriculum group guidance/counseling. Research examined externalizing, internalizing, maladaptive, and adaptive behaviors of elementary and middle school students who were considered at-risk of academic or social failure. Two types of behavior instruments, the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Self-Rating, Parent-Rating, and Teacher-Rating Scales; and the Animal Assisted Therapy-Psychosocial Session Form (AAT-PSF), were used in a pretest-posttest comparison group quasi experimental design. Results of the paired sample t-test analysis of the BASC Self-Report indicated that the equine assisted counseling group showed statistically significant improvement in five behavior areas, and the in-school curriculum group guidance/counseling group showed statistically significant improvement in four areas, with only one behavior area the same as the equine assisted counseling group. Results of the paired sample t-test analysis of the BASC Parent-Report indicated that the equine assisted counseling group showed statistically significant improvement in twelve behavior areas, whereas the in-school curriculum group guidance/counseling showed statistically significant improvement in only one behavior area. Results of the paired sample t-test analysis of the BASC Teacher-Report indicated that the equine assisted counseling group showed no statistically significant improvement; however the in-school curriculum group guidance/counseling group showed statistically significant improvement in one area. An ANCOVA comparison of equine assisted counseling group verses in-school curriculum guidance/counseling group using the BASC Self, Parent, and Teacher-Reports indicated that the equine assisted counseling group showed statistically significant improvement in seven behavior areas that the in-school curriculum guidance/counseling group did not. Results of the repeated measures ANOVA of the AAT-PSF (equine assisted counseling group only) showed statistically significant improvement in all 3-scale scores: 1) overall total behaviors; 2) increased positive behaviors; and 3) decreased negative behaviors.

In South Africa the idea of a peer helping service has gained impetus and is viewed as a viable option given the fact that there is a shortage of professional school-counsellors and complementary care-givers in the public school environment. This research emanated from an awareness that there was a need to develop an objective assessment tool regarding the identification of peer-counsellors. This instigated an investigation of the essential criteria, predominant characteristics and requirements of effective peer-counsellors. The primary focus of this research has been to develop a self-assessment instrument that will assist in the identification and selection of potential peer-counsellors. The self-assessment instrument proved to be a valuable tool in discriminating between good, average and weak peer-counsellors. Findings indicate that the self-assessment instrument should be used in conjunction with other modes of assessment such as the self-report data, teacher ratings and peer ratings. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Summary in English / Text in Afrikaans / Awareness of and interest in the incidence of sexual child abuse has been increasing. The current prominence of this phenomenon in south Africa, . is evidenced by reports in the printed and electronic media. A study of the prehistoric era, ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and later shows that children have been sexua·lly abused throughout all ages. Yet, the sexual abuse of children is incompatible with the values and goals of authentic nurturing. i • Child sexuality can never ~e equated w1.th adult I sexuality. The child lacks the emotional~ mental, intellectual and physical capabilities to manage sexual contact with an adult person. He/ she is therefore not in a position to agree to intimate intercourse. This research project mainly focused on the relationship between the identification of and aid to the sexually abused child, and the personality functioning of adults who were sexually abused as children. An ontological-antropological approach to childhood has shown that the sexually abused child has the right to the school guidance teacher's respect for his dignity as child and a need for a response to his pain and yearning. The sexually abused child is situated in a distinctive lifeworld and sexual abuse has affective, social and physical consequences. Social relations are negatively affected and some children show self-destructive behavior. The establishment of an authentic and stable sexual identity is especially threatened. Children should be educated to resist the sexual advances of adults, while sexually abused children should be provided with adequate aid. Educators (guidance teachers) should therefore have the necessary guidelines at their disposal for the prevention and treatment of sexual child abuse. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summary in English / Text in Afrikaans / Awareness of and interest in the incidence of sexual child abuse has been increasing. The current prominence of this phenomenon in south Africa, . is evidenced by reports in the printed and electronic media. A study of the prehistoric era, ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and later shows that children have been sexua·lly abused throughout all ages. Yet, the sexual abuse of children is incompatible with the values and goals of authentic nurturing. i • Child sexuality can never ~e equated w1.th adult I sexuality. The child lacks the emotional~ mental, intellectual and physical capabilities to manage sexual contact with an adult person. He/ she is therefore not in a position to agree to intimate intercourse. This research project mainly focused on the relationship between the identification of and aid to the sexually abused child, and the personality functioning of adults who were sexually abused as children. An ontological-antropological approach to childhood has shown that the sexually abused child has the right to the school guidance teacher's respect for his dignity as child and a need for a response to his pain and yearning. The sexually abused child is situated in a distinctive lifeworld and sexual abuse has affective, social and physical consequences. Social relations are negatively affected and some children show self-destructive behavior. The establishment of an authentic and stable sexual identity is especially threatened. Children should be educated to resist the sexual advances of adults, while sexually abused children should be provided with adequate aid. Educators (guidance teachers) should therefore have the necessary guidelines at their disposal for the prevention and treatment of sexual child abuse. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

In South Africa the idea of a peer helping service has gained impetus and is viewed as a viable option given the fact that there is a shortage of professional school-counsellors and complementary care-givers in the public school environment. This research emanated from an awareness that there was a need to develop an objective assessment tool regarding the identification of peer-counsellors. This instigated an investigation of the essential criteria, predominant characteristics and requirements of effective peer-counsellors. The primary focus of this research has been to develop a self-assessment instrument that will assist in the identification and selection of potential peer-counsellors. The self-assessment instrument proved to be a valuable tool in discriminating between good, average and weak peer-counsellors. Findings indicate that the self-assessment instrument should be used in conjunction with other modes of assessment such as the self-report data, teacher ratings and peer ratings. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:42:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 916020 bytes, checksum: 179d66fbbcb2c3a215acb2a1ae9f8edc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research study focuses on student-student interaction in the context of Portuguese Language classes. We want to know if the interactive process, consisting of a mediator - the student most competent - by directing a mediated learner - less competent - favors those who have difficulty learning in school grammatical contests. Whereas, in the classroom we find the existence of "gaps" in knowledge internalized and accumulated, resulting in an uneven learning. For the theoretical foundation in Interactional Sociolinguistics, We base in JJ Gumperz and Jenny Cook-Gumperz, Erwing Goffman and Stella Maris Bortoni-Ricardo. In Conversation Analysis Catherine Kerbrat-Orecchioni, beyond the dimensions of learning and Zone of Proximal Development, Lev Vygotsky Semenovitch, among others. The research environment it is a state educational institution in João Pessoa. The analysis methodology is based on the Ethnography of Communication, essentially interpretive, which focuses on investigating the problems in schools, such as learning difficulties of the students. The data analysis confirms the learning difficulties of students in school grammatical contests, because they consist of minute details to be recognized. It was evident that the orientation of a student more competent can beneficially influence a student less competent in the construction of meaningful learning, to a lesser or greater degrees, making them also come to the resolution of school activities. / A presente investigação centraliza o estudo na interação entre aluno-aluno em contexto de Língua Portuguesa. Pretendemos saber se o processo interativo, constituído de um mediador - aluno mais competente - orientando um mediado - aluno menos competente - favorece os que possuem dificuldade de aprendizagem em conteúdos escolares gramaticais. Consideramos que em sala de aula encontramos a existência de lacunas em saberes escolares internalizados, resultando, assim, em desnivelamentos de aprendizagens. Para a fundamentação teórica, nos pautamos na Sociolinguística Interacional, de J. Gumperz e Jenny Cook-Gumperz, Erwing Goffman e Stella Maris Bortoni-Ricardo; na Análise da Conversação, de Catherine Kerbrat- Orecchioni; e, nas noções de Dimensões do aprendizado e Zona de desenvolvimento Proximal, de Lev Semenovitch Vygotsky, entre outros. O ambiente de pesquisa trata-se de uma instituição escolar estadual, em João Pessoa - PB. A análise metodológica é fundamentada em uma perspectiva interpretativista, que permite uma investigação sobre os problemas educacionais, como as dificuldades de aprendizagem de alunos. A análise de dados confirma as referidas dificuldades de alunos em conteúdos escolares gramaticais, por se constituírem de detalhes minuciosos a serem reconhecidos. Evidenciou-se que a orientação de um aluno mais competente - o mediador - pode influenciar beneficamente um aluno menos competente - o mediado - na construção de saberes escolares de modo significativo, em menor ou maior grau, fazendo-os também chegarem à resolução de atividades escolares.