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Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education / Christy D. Craft / This phenomenological study sought to address the overarching research questions: What are the costs and benefits of participation in Division I college sports? How does participation in Division I college sports prepare student-athletes for life after college? A qualitative methodology was selected to provide richer data than that which could be collected via surveys. The researcher interviewed 15 former student-athletes, each of whom participated in either football or men’s basketball at one Division I institution. According to the study participants, having a strong support system, including a career networking system and gaining positive attributes were the benefits of the experience. The heavy time commitment, the perceptions of others outside of athletics, and health challenges were all cited as costs of the experience. For the most part, participants of the study believed their college experience prepared them for life after college by providing career networking opportunities as well as attributes that are valuable in their work and personal lives. Four recommendations for practice were revealed from this study. First, athletic department personnel, campus administrators, and student service unit across campus, should help student-athletes understand and market attributes they are gaining in their roles as athletes and students. Second, campus professionals can help these young adults deal with the negative perceptions and treatment they receive from others on campus. In addition, campus administrators should act to minimize negative stereotypes by speaking out against them and emphasizing the positive examples that are sure to exist on campus. Finally, these professional can learn more about the long-term mental and physical health concerns associated with participation in high-stress, physical college sports and educate participants on preventing or minimizing the potential health consequences of their participation.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 T53 / Master of Science

Despite the relative successes of the post-apartheid South African Government, government’s failure to adequately deliver basic services has led to recent national public unrest over the problem of poor service delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate satisfaction level pertaining the service delivery in Matjhabeng Local Municipality. Municipalities are mandated by the Constitution to provide basic services to its community such as potable water supply, electricity, refuse collection roads and sanitation. The analysis is mainly on the basis of service delivery experienced in different areas such as formal and informal townships, study amongst municipal employees, as well as middle and high suburb areas within Matjhabeng LM. The realistic evidence has revealed that communities are unhappy because of, among other things, the cadre deployment to the municipality, the poor service delivery, corrupt councillors, uncommitted employees, communication between municipality and its residents and interference of politicians which have impacted negatively on service delivery. The results showed that although many respondents are unhappy with the basic services besides the municipality making an effort to provide basic services. Furthermore, it is evident from the results that while being unhappy with services more than residents who receive monthly bills are willing to pay for services rendered. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Several researchers report that object control skills, health-related physical fitness and physical activity are not optimally developed in children. It is also evident from the literature that children, especially girls, are not active enough these days. These trends are disturbing as these are important factors that play a role in the health and sports development later in the child's life. Firstly, this dissertation attempts to examine the relationship between object control skills and health-related physical fitness in nine to ten-year old girls in the North-West Province of South Africa. Secondly, the relationship between object control skills and physical activity levels and patterns in nine to ten-year old girls in the North-West Province of South Africa was investigated. Data were collected by means of a stratified randomised sample of 408 girls with a mean age of 9,86 years (±0,42) who participated in the NW-CHILD study. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2) (Bruininks & Bruininks, 2005) strength sub-test (standing long jump, push-ups, sit-ups, wall sit and V-up) was used to determine the girls’ strength, the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) (Ulrich, 2000) was used to determine the learners’ object control skills and the FITNESSGRAM (Meredith & Welk, 2008) was used to evaluate the girls’ cardiovascular endurance. The Children’s Leisure Activities Study Survey (CLASS) was used to evaluate the physical activity pattern of the girls. Stature, body mass and skinfolds (subscapular, triceps and calf) were measured according to standard kinantropometric protocols. The STATISTICA software package was used to analyse the data. Small but significant correlations were found between object control skills and strength, aerobic fitness and the body composition of the group. According to the healty fitness zone (HFZ) classification, 49.62% (n=198) of girls were categorised as being in the HFZ with regard to their BMI and 54.14% (n=216) in the HFZ with regards to the FAT%. This indicates that object control skills are influenced by factors that can contribute to the health of young girls. Participation in physical activities should therefore be increased. Appropriate development of object control skills (OC) and strength skills in girls is recommended to prevent delays in sports participation. Further investigation involved racial differences in activity performances. Ninety white and 318 black girls with a mean age of 9.86 years participated in this study. OC skills were assessed. Statistically (p≤0.001) and practically significant differences between the white and black girls were found, where the white girls participated more in ten of the moderate intensity physical activities than the black girls and the black girls participated more in three of these activities. Activities in which white girls mostly participated contributed significantly to higher moderate to high intensity. / MA (Kinderkinetics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

A vast body of literature shows that the populations of older persons aged 60+ are growing faster all over the world. South Africa has also shown a tremendous growth in the size of the older population, from 3.7 million in total in the year 2009, which is expected to count 4.25 million in 2015. Similarly, the level of mobile phone penetration in Africa and Sub-Saharan countries has grown significantly. This study aimed to explore older persons‟ competence in using a mobile phone in the Tlokwe municipal area, South Africa. The current study formed part of the iGNiTe sub-study, which is a sub-study of a larger project (An exploration of enabling context) and focuses on the user patterns of mobile technology by older people by using both qualitative and quantitative data. The current study aimed to explore older persons‟ competence in using mobile phones. Although the iGNiTe sub-study involved both qualitative and quantitative data-gathering methods, the current study only focused on the qualitative data aspect. This study is also the first to directly explore older persons‟ competencies regarding the use of mobile phones in the South African context. The study incorporated the Multiple Intelligences Theory, Technology Acceptance Model and The Mobile Phone Technology Acceptance Model to explain older persons‟ attitudes to and intentions for using a mobile phone as well as the knowledge and skills they possess regarding the use of mobile phones. The keywords that were used in different search engines included older persons, mobile phones, competencies, skills, knowledge and attitude. Participants included in the sub-study were older persons aged 60+ who met the inclusion criteria from a total sample of 128 older persons in three old-age day-care centres in the Tlokwe municipal area of the North West Province, South Africa. Since the current study only focused on the qualitative aspect of the sub-study, the study only used 48 participants who took part in semi-structured interviews and the Mmogo-method® in the sub-study. The study used a descriptive research design to understand meaning and experiences of older persons‟ competences in using mobile phones by using semi-structured interviews and the Mmogo-method®. The goal of this study was achieved by conducting a thematic analysis within a secondary dataset from the iGNiTe sub-study. Older persons‟ competencies in using a mobile phone were extracted from the interviews. The data revealed that levels of competences revealed by older persons differed according to the individual‟s experiences in using mobile phones. Both positive and negative impact of mobile phone complexities on older persons‟ abilities to use a mobile phone were found in the current study. The study suggests that, based on the findings, mobile phones be made more learnable and adapted to the needs of different age groups. / MSc (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Despite the relative successes of the post-apartheid South African Government, government’s failure to adequately deliver basic services has led to recent national public unrest over the problem of poor service delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate satisfaction level pertaining the service delivery in Matjhabeng Local Municipality. Municipalities are mandated by the Constitution to provide basic services to its community such as potable water supply, electricity, refuse collection roads and sanitation. The analysis is mainly on the basis of service delivery experienced in different areas such as formal and informal townships, study amongst municipal employees, as well as middle and high suburb areas within Matjhabeng LM. The realistic evidence has revealed that communities are unhappy because of, among other things, the cadre deployment to the municipality, the poor service delivery, corrupt councillors, uncommitted employees, communication between municipality and its residents and interference of politicians which have impacted negatively on service delivery. The results showed that although many respondents are unhappy with the basic services besides the municipality making an effort to provide basic services. Furthermore, it is evident from the results that while being unhappy with services more than residents who receive monthly bills are willing to pay for services rendered. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Several researchers report that object control skills, health-related physical fitness and physical activity are not optimally developed in children. It is also evident from the literature that children, especially girls, are not active enough these days. These trends are disturbing as these are important factors that play a role in the health and sports development later in the child's life. Firstly, this dissertation attempts to examine the relationship between object control skills and health-related physical fitness in nine to ten-year old girls in the North-West Province of South Africa. Secondly, the relationship between object control skills and physical activity levels and patterns in nine to ten-year old girls in the North-West Province of South Africa was investigated. Data were collected by means of a stratified randomised sample of 408 girls with a mean age of 9,86 years (±0,42) who participated in the NW-CHILD study. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2) (Bruininks & Bruininks, 2005) strength sub-test (standing long jump, push-ups, sit-ups, wall sit and V-up) was used to determine the girls’ strength, the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) (Ulrich, 2000) was used to determine the learners’ object control skills and the FITNESSGRAM (Meredith & Welk, 2008) was used to evaluate the girls’ cardiovascular endurance. The Children’s Leisure Activities Study Survey (CLASS) was used to evaluate the physical activity pattern of the girls. Stature, body mass and skinfolds (subscapular, triceps and calf) were measured according to standard kinantropometric protocols. The STATISTICA software package was used to analyse the data. Small but significant correlations were found between object control skills and strength, aerobic fitness and the body composition of the group. According to the healty fitness zone (HFZ) classification, 49.62% (n=198) of girls were categorised as being in the HFZ with regard to their BMI and 54.14% (n=216) in the HFZ with regards to the FAT%. This indicates that object control skills are influenced by factors that can contribute to the health of young girls. Participation in physical activities should therefore be increased. Appropriate development of object control skills (OC) and strength skills in girls is recommended to prevent delays in sports participation. Further investigation involved racial differences in activity performances. Ninety white and 318 black girls with a mean age of 9.86 years participated in this study. OC skills were assessed. Statistically (p≤0.001) and practically significant differences between the white and black girls were found, where the white girls participated more in ten of the moderate intensity physical activities than the black girls and the black girls participated more in three of these activities. Activities in which white girls mostly participated contributed significantly to higher moderate to high intensity. / MA (Kinderkinetics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

A vast body of literature shows that the populations of older persons aged 60+ are growing faster all over the world. South Africa has also shown a tremendous growth in the size of the older population, from 3.7 million in total in the year 2009, which is expected to count 4.25 million in 2015. Similarly, the level of mobile phone penetration in Africa and Sub-Saharan countries has grown significantly. This study aimed to explore older persons‟ competence in using a mobile phone in the Tlokwe municipal area, South Africa. The current study formed part of the iGNiTe sub-study, which is a sub-study of a larger project (An exploration of enabling context) and focuses on the user patterns of mobile technology by older people by using both qualitative and quantitative data. The current study aimed to explore older persons‟ competence in using mobile phones. Although the iGNiTe sub-study involved both qualitative and quantitative data-gathering methods, the current study only focused on the qualitative data aspect. This study is also the first to directly explore older persons‟ competencies regarding the use of mobile phones in the South African context. The study incorporated the Multiple Intelligences Theory, Technology Acceptance Model and The Mobile Phone Technology Acceptance Model to explain older persons‟ attitudes to and intentions for using a mobile phone as well as the knowledge and skills they possess regarding the use of mobile phones. The keywords that were used in different search engines included older persons, mobile phones, competencies, skills, knowledge and attitude. Participants included in the sub-study were older persons aged 60+ who met the inclusion criteria from a total sample of 128 older persons in three old-age day-care centres in the Tlokwe municipal area of the North West Province, South Africa. Since the current study only focused on the qualitative aspect of the sub-study, the study only used 48 participants who took part in semi-structured interviews and the Mmogo-method® in the sub-study. The study used a descriptive research design to understand meaning and experiences of older persons‟ competences in using mobile phones by using semi-structured interviews and the Mmogo-method®. The goal of this study was achieved by conducting a thematic analysis within a secondary dataset from the iGNiTe sub-study. Older persons‟ competencies in using a mobile phone were extracted from the interviews. The data revealed that levels of competences revealed by older persons differed according to the individual‟s experiences in using mobile phones. Both positive and negative impact of mobile phone complexities on older persons‟ abilities to use a mobile phone were found in the current study. The study suggests that, based on the findings, mobile phones be made more learnable and adapted to the needs of different age groups. / MSc (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

ABSTRACT Music and differences in knowledge – a study of music teachers experiences with differences in musical knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to, out of a music teacher’s perspective, see if the differences in music abilities between 7th grade students are at all, or in some ways connected to the previous schools they’ve attended. I will also research in what areas, in the subject of music, students are differing more, as well as less, in their knowledge.  The analysis is based on interviews with six 7th grade music teachers working in the Swedish nine-year compulsory school system. According to the teachers, the result of these interviews show that students do come from different music teaching backgrounds that can affect their skills in the subject. These teachers argue that students own music interest along with practicing in their free time, the pedagogues and access to material are all important components to why students differ in their music skills. According to the teachers, there is more of a difference in knowledge among the students when it comes to digital tools and ensemble playing and less of a difference when it comes to singing.