Text in English / The aim of the current study is to provide detailed information regarding individuals’ turning-point experiences, in order to understand the psychological and spiritual aspects involved in moving beyond a significant low point towards a significant high point in one’s life. It seems that inadequate information regarding formal studies about this phenomenon exists in literature, which this study endeavours to address. Thereby, a qualitative phenomenological study was conducted amongst nineteen South African citizens, who were purposefully and conveniently selected from the diverse population of South Africa. Individual participants confirmed that they had experienced significant low points from which they had been able to move to reach a significant high point. Through interviews, River-of-life (RoL) drawings and a short background information questionnaire (SBIQ), participants were able to provide information on their experiences. The participants’ stories, obtained during the interviews, were transcribed, and then triangulated with information obtained from the RoL drawings, completed SBIQ’s, researcher notes and other additional sources, during the analysis phase. Thematic analysis was performed on individuals’ stories to obtain the research participants’ themes, which provided the aspects involved in their turning-point experiences. In-depth analysis of all participants’ stories produced a theme-model consisting of main and unique themes. Unique themes identified by the study supported the main themes. Themes highlighted through the study included minding oneself, support from and to, doing something, religion/faith in God, positive attitude and meaning. The positive psychology theoretical framework was applied in interpreting the findings. This study suggests that a combination of themes is relevant in one’s ability to move beyond a low point experience towards a high point experience. The application of the theme-model could assist others in similar situations to create change or a turning-point experience in order to move away from or transcend a low point. The study was linked to the subjective measuring of Quality of Life (QOL). It is recommended that more subjective indicators of QOL, including spirituality indicators, be investigated. While this study focussed on the internal influences affecting change in a person’s life towards fulfilment, further studies may investigate the external influences. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Any loss in an adolescent's life may lead to shattered dreams. Therapists, who work with adolescents who have experienced a loss must support and guide them to develop an awareness of their needs, impulses and dreams. Therapists must furthermore be aware of the factors that contributed to a turning point for the adolescents who managed to recreate their dreams. Adolescents' dreams are influenced by the current circumstances in South Africa, as well as their parents' perceptions and parenting styles. The loss of what could have been, after a loss, must also be addressed. The gestalt therapist establishes the process of awareness in the here-and-now. Furthermore, the adolescent must be guided to accept responsibility for his own choices and to purposeful create a new life dream. / Enige verlies in adolessente se lewens kan lei tot verbrokkelde lewensdrome. Terapeute wat werk met adolessente wat 'n verlies ervaar het, moet hul ondersteun en begelei sodat hulle bewustheid kan ontwikkel van hul behoeftes, drange en drome. Terapeute moet verder bewus wees van die faktore wat 'n keerpunt meegebring het by die adolessente wat wei hul drome kon herskep. Adolessente se lewensdrome word beinvloed deur die huidige omstandighede in Suid-Afrika, sowel as deur hul ouers se persepsies en ouerskapstyl. Die verlies aan dit wat kon wees, na afloop van 'n verlies moet dus ook aangespreek word. Die gestaltterapeut bewerkstellig die bewusmakingsproses in die hier-en-nou. Verder moet die adolessent gelei word om verantwoordelikheid te neem vir sy eie keuses en om doelbewus 'n nuwe lewensdroom te skep. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This dissertation attempts to understand what support from the school parents would most value when their child has been diagnosed with a learning disability. The method employed was qualitative in nature, using eight in-depth interviews with the mothers. The interviews confirmed that parents experience emotions similar to those when grieving. They also tend to feel isolated from their communities. Before embarking on a support program the school needs to recognize the depth of these emotions. The interviews also revealed that parents require timeous communication from the teacher. Parents concerns should be taken seriously or time goes by without the disability being attended to. The terminology used by professionals is often not fully understood by parents, and this causes them to feel unsure of how therapy is helping their child in the classroom and what its value is. Various guidelines are offered to support parents with regard to the above-mentioned aspects. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Text in Afrikaans / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Spesialisering in Voorligting)

The general view of educators at all levels of education as well as trainers in industry, that learners do not have the ability to use their knowledge inter-curricular and holistically in their lives prompted the study. A very superficial study that was done in 2000, regarding the same problem, acted as the starting point for this study. The main purpose of the study was to determine the reasons for the general perception by educators that learners do not use their embedded knowledge in an inter-curricular manner. It also aimed to determine the most effective facilitating styles and methods that would help the learners to develop the skills to learn with the main aim to achieve learning that lasts and not just learning to pass. The use of deconstruction as a learning activity forms the biggest part of this qualitative action research project which was based on the main principles of the hermeneutic approach namely, communication followed by interpretation in order to reach understanding. The principles of narrative therapy were also used in the project. The hermeneutic approach followed in this study also allows the reader to walk the road with the participants as a narrative, first person reporting style provides rich background information regarding all the participants of the study as well as the contexts in which the actions took place. The reader will also be able to feel the closeness that existed between the educator and the learners who were part of this study. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Didactics)

Text in Afrikaans / Die objek van studie in hierdie proefskrif is ietwat ongewoon. Die studie is outobiografies en is gegrond op die aanname dat daar tussen die psigoterapeut, sy geskiedenis, die wetenskap (etnografie en tweede-orde kubernetika) en die klient(e) 'n unieke patroonverband bestaan. Die psigoterapeut in die platteland het weens afstand of finansies nie altyd die voorreg om supervisie van 'n eksterne supervisor te ontvang nie. In so 'n situasie kan selfsupervisie, deurdat dit 'n proses van selfontdekking is, 'n belangrike rol in die psigoterapeut se selfontwikkeling speel. Selfsupervisie plaas die klem op die psigoterapeut as persoon en as terapeut; oor wie hy is, waar hy vandaan kom en waarheen hy binne die psigoterapeutiese proses op pad is. Vir enige psigoterapeut is dit belangrik om na 'n hoer vlak van psigoterapie te streef. Hierdie strewe impliseer 'n proses van selfondersoek, delwing, selfevaluasie en disseksie. Hierdie proses is aan die hand van dagboekinskrywings gedoen, waar die psigoterapeut sy daaglikse ervarings en gebeurtenisse vanuit die verlede interpreteer het. Dit plaas die psigoterapeut as hoofspeler, met sy familiegeskiedenis en huidige interpersoonlike opset as inherente deel van sy mondering, op die voorgrond. In hierdie proses word die psigoterapeut sentraal geplaas met die klem op eie verantwoordelikheid met betrekking tot die proses van selfsupervisie. Die probleme wat deur hierdie persoonlik gekleurde, wetenskaplike studie aangespreek word, is probleme wat die psigoterapeut deur middel van sy selfsupervisie ge1dentifiseer het. So 'n selfondersoek lei tot 'n diepere selfkennis wat die psigoterapeut tot voordeel van homself, sy gesinsisteem en klientsisteem kan gebruik. Hierdie studie is 'n poging om 'n nuwe wyse van navorsing te identifiseer. Dit is omvattend en lei tot persoonlike vervulling asook diepere selfkennis en is 'n man waardeur ander psigoterapeute ook hulself en hul werelde kan ontdek. Dit is 'n stadige en pynlike proses. Hoofstukke 1 tot 4 is die teoretiese, wetenskaplike beredenering van die studie en hoofstukke 5 tot 12 is 'n uitbeelding van die geskiedenis van die psigoterapeut. Hoofstuk 13 plaas selfsupervisie as selfevalueringsmetode binne die psigoterapeutiese beroep. / The object of this study somewhat unusual. The study is an autobiography based on the assumption that there exists an unique patterned connection between the psychotherapist, his history, science (ethnography and second-order cybernetics), and his clients. Due to distance or financial problems, a rural psychotherapist cannot experience the privilege of supervision with an external supervisor. In such a situation selfsupervision could play an important role in the self-development, because it includes a search of self that will lead to more effectiveness in psychotherapy. Self-supervision focuses on the psychotherapist as a person and therapist, who he is, where he comes from, and in what direction he, as a psychotherapist, is developing within the psychotherapeutic process. It is important to any psychotherapist to strive towards a higher level of psychotherapy. This implies a process of selfinvestigation, dissection and self-evaluation. This process was conducted by means of diary entries in which the psychotherapist interpreted his daily experiences and events in terms of his past. This places the psychotherapist, with his family history and current interpersonal situation, as intrinsic parts of himself, in the foreground. In this process the psychotherapist takes centre stage with emphasis on his responsibility concerning the process of self-supervision. The problems addressed by this personally coloured, scientific study, are problems that the psychotherapist identified through the process of self-supervision and introspection. Such introspection leads to a deeper personal knowledge which the psychotherapist can use to his own benefit but also to the benefit of his family and client system. This study is an attempt to identify a new way of research. It is comprehensive and leads to personal fulfilment and deeper self-knowledge and is also a method by which other psychotherapists could discover themselves and their worlds. It is a slow and painful process. Chapters 1 to 4 comprise of the theoretical rationale of the study and chapters 5 to 12 depict the history of the psychotherapist. Chapter 13 situates self-supervision as a method of self-evaluation in the profession of psychotherapy. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil.

Summaries in Afrikaans and Engish / There is at present a lack of consensus in the Educational Psychological domain to a universal point of departure of a uniform approach for Educational Psychologists. Educational Psychologists have become increasingly aware that the therapy and theories that they use for diagnoses and therapy are not based on educational theories. They frequently fall back on existing psychological schools of thought with the result that very few of the educational theories feature there in. The purpose of this dissertation is therefore: • To devise an accountable educational psychological theory which will lead to the integrating of psychological and educational insights. • To devise diagnostic and research models to create an accountable design in practice. • To utilize the essence of educational psychology educational psychologists for diagnoses and therapy. / Daar bestaan tans in die Opvoedkundige Sielkundige vakgebied 'n gebrek aan konsensus ten opsigte van 'n gemeenskaplike vertrekpunt vir 'n eenheidsbenadering vir opvoedkundige sielkundiges. Opvoedkundige sielkundiges het toenemend daarvan bewus geword dat die terapie en teoriee wat hulle gebruik vir diagnose en terapie nie gebaseer is op opvoedkundige teoriee nie, maar gewoonlik terugval op bestaande sielkundige skole en denkrigtings met die gevolg dat baie min van die opvoedkundige teoriee daarin voorkom. Die doel van die proefskrif is gevolglik om: • 'n Verantwoordbare opvoedkundige sielkundige teorie: "Die Relasieterapieteorie" daar te stel wat sal lei tot die integrering van sielkundige- en opvoedkundige insigte. • Diagnoserings- en navorsingsmodelle daar te stel ten einde 'n verantwoordbare praktykontwerp te skep. • Die Relasieterapieteorie in praktyk te veroperasionaliseer om die opvoedkundige sielkundige essensies in die praktyk in te dra en aan opvoedkundige sielkundiges 'n gemeenskaplike vertrekpunt te gee vir diagnose en terapie. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This research was triggered by the need to assist first year students in a way which had not been addressed by the people involved with the upliftment of disadvantaged students. The aspect which was addressed was the personal growth of the adult learner within the academic situation with consideration of his own personal circumstances and ideals. This means that a micro level approach was generated by creating the Academic Enhancement Programme (AEP). The purpose of the programme is to give adult learners the opportunity to understand themselves and their own value systems better on a micro, meso and macro level, to experience personal growth or self-actualisation and to see how these factors influence the adult learners' interaction with the tertiary academic situation. Eight possible value systems were discussed and introduced to the adult learners who participated in the Academic Enhancement Programme. The adult learners were given the opportunity to measure themselves against the value systems and to evaluate how these influenced their realistic academic self-actualisation. The psycho-andragogical categories were utilised during the application of the programme as criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. The following recommendations were made • the creation of a faculty specific induction programme • linking study packages directly to the context of adult learners • organising personal academic contact • giving personal academic support • making the evaluation procedures transparent • creating and supporting informal study groups Although the study has certain limitations, it should be of great value to the university system during the transformation phase that it is experiencing at present. The main aim of the study is, however, the contribution to the academic growth of the adult learner in the tertiary situation / Hierdie navorsing het ontstaan vanuit die behoefte om eerstejaarstudente op 'n bepaalde wyse te ondersteun. Hierdie wyse is nog nie aangespreek deur mense wat met benadeelde studente gewerk het nie. Die aspek wat ondersoek is, is die persoonlike groei wat volwasse leerders ervaar binne die akademiese situasie met inagneming van hulle eie persoonlike omstandighede en ideale. Dit het beteken dat daar deur middel van 'n mikrobenadering 'n Akademiese Verrykingsprogram geskep moes word. Die doel van die program is drievoudig: Dit meet aan volwasse leerders die geleentheid bied om hulleself en hulle waardesisteme beter te verstaan in 'n mikro-, meso- en makroverband; om persoonlike groei I selfaktualisering te ervaar en om tot die besef te kom dat hierdie aangeleenthede hulle interaksie met die tersiere akademiese situasie be'invloed. Agt verskillende waardesisteme is bespreek en aan die volwasse leerders wat aan die Akademiese Verrykingsprogram deelgeneem het, voorgehou. Die volwasse leerders het die geleentheid gekry om hulself aan hierdie waardesisteme te meet. Hulle kon ook in die loop van die program vasstel hoe dit hulle realistiese akademiese selfaktualisering be'invloed. Die psigo-andragogiese kategoriee is tydens die toepassing van die program as kriteria gebruik om die effektiwiteit van die program te bepaal. Die volgende aanbevelings is gemaak: • dat 'n fakulteit-spesifieke induksieprogram geskep meet word, • dat studiepakkette direk aan die volwasse leerder se verwysingsraamwerk gekoppel meet word, • dat persoonlike akademiese ondersteuning gebied meet word, • dat persoonlike kontak op akademiese gebied bewerkstellig moet word, • dat evalueringsprosedures deursigtig gemaak meet word, • dat informele studiegroepe tot stand gebring en onderhou meet word. Alhoewel die studie aan verskeie beperkings onderhewig is, behoort dit vir die universiteitswese tydens die huidige transformasiegebeure van groot waarde te wees. Die belangrikste doel van die navorsing is egter die bydrae wat dit kan lewer tot die akademiese groei van die volwasse leerder in die tersiere situasie. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie ondersoek handel oor die psigometriese verwantskappe tussen verskeie konseptualiserings van psigologiese optimaliteit. Die konsepte selfaktualisering (vanuit 'n humanistiese raamwerk), gevoel van koherensie en aangeleerde vernuftigheid (vanuit 'n behavioristiese en salutogenesis paradigma) is vir die doeleindes van hierdie ondersoek gekies. Die gekose meetinstrumente, naamlik die Persoonlike Orientasievraelys vir selfaktualisering, die Lewensorientasievraelys vir gevoel van koherensie en die Selfkontroleskedule vir aangeleerde vernuftigheid, is op 'n steekproef van 200 middelvlakbestuurders in 'n semi-staatsdiensorganisasie afgeneem. Pearsonkorrelasiekoeffisiente is bereken en 'n faktorontleding is gedoen. Daar is verskeie beduidende korrelasies verkry tussen die subskale van die Persoonlike Orientasievraelys en die Lewensorientasievraelys, maar slegs enkele beduidende korrelasies tussen die Persoonlike Orientasievraelys en die Selfkontroleskedule. Die Lewensorientasievraelys en die Selfkontroleskedule het egter beduidend gekorreleer. Die faktorontleding het getoon dat selfaktualisering aan die een kant, en gevoel van koherensie en aangeleerde vernuftigheid aan die ander kant as twee verskillende konstrukte van psigologiese optimaliteit beskou kan word. / The relationships between various conceptualisations of psychological optimisation are investigated. The concepts of self-actualisation (from a humanistic paradigm), sense of coherence and learned resourcefulness (from a salutogenesis paradigm) are relevant. The measuring instruments were the Personal Orientation Inventory (POl), the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) and the Self Control Schedule (SCS). They were administered by means of random sampling of 200 middle level managers in a semi-government organisation. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated and a factor analysis was done. Several significant correlations were obtained between the subscales of the POl and the OLQ, but limited correlations were found between the POl and the SCS. However, significant correlations between the OLQ and the SCS were apparent. The factor analysis demonstrated that self-actualisation on the one hand and sense of coherence as well as learned resourcefulness on the other hand may be regarded as two seperate constructs of psychological optimisation. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / Thesis (M.Com.)--Universiteit van Suid Afrika, 1994.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / The promotion of multi-cultural education and the upliftment of milieu disadvantaged children are closely related to each other, and is presently an important issue in the South African educational system. Poor knowledge of milieu disadvantaged children and multi-cultural education result in the loss of valuable learner potential and the non-fulfilment of the education policy. In this study, the promotion of self-actualisation of milieu disadvantaged children within a multi-cultural education system is discussed from a psychological-educational perspective. Attention is given to the problems and issues that play a defining role in the implementation of such an educational system. The influence of the environment en the development and functioning of milieu disadvantaged learners is investigated further. Qualitative research is done to identify the developmental areas where most problems occur. Finally, recommendations are made to the government, teachers and parents that ~an serve as guidelines to promote the selfactualisation of these learners. / Die bevordering van multikulturele onderwys en die opheffing van die milieu-geremde leerder hou nou verband met mekaar, en is tans 'n belangrike vraagstuk in die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwyssisteem. Gebrekkige kennis van milieu-geremdheid en multikulturele onderwys veroorsaak dat leerderpotensiaal verlore gaan en die onderwysbeleid nie uitgevoer word nie .. In hierdie studie word die bevordering van selfaktualisering van milieu-geremde leerders binne 'n multikulturele onderwyssisteem vanuit 'n opvoedkundig-sielkundige perspektief bespreek. Aandag word geskenk aan die problema en faktore wat 'n bepalende rol by die suksesvolle implementering van 'n multikulturele onderwyssisteem speel. Die invloed van die omgewing op die ontwikkeling en funksionering van milieu-geremde leerders word verder ondersoek. Kwalitatiewe navorsing is gedoen om die ontwikkelingsareas waar die meeste problema ervaar word, te identifiseer. Laastens word aanbevelings aan die regering, onderwysers en ouers gemaak wat as riglyne kan dien om die selfaktualisering van hierdie leerders te bevorder. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (met spesialisering in Voorligting)