Thesis (M.Ed.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-114). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR38777

This is an explorative study into the challenges and ethical dilemmas that practitioners face when assessing the intellectual functioning of black learners. Participants were registered psychologists and intern psychologists involved in assessing black African learners. Data were collected by means of an interview schedule that had been designed for this purpose, based on the literature in the field. All participants were interviewed individually. The psychological practitioners interviewed in this study reported linguistic barriers, limited cultural knowledge, and lack of scientific validation as posing the major challenges for them in assessing black African learners. Among the ethical dilemmas that were reported were confidentiality and informed consent which were sometimes compromised by their dual responsibilities to the client and the schooling system or another third party. Forming discussion forums, development of new and appropriately normed assessment tools and incorporating relevant skills in training programs were recommended as some of the strategies to overcome these challenges and ethical dilemmas. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sci.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Two moral orientations in men and women‟s reasoning about moral dilemmas have dominated the literature: an orientation to rights, fairness, and justice and another based on care, compassion and concern for others. It is widely accepted that exposure to violence has a number of adverse effects on children and adolescents‟ psychosocial development. Recent research has begun to explore whether, and how, exposure to violence impacts on moral development. Studies examining the nature of this association, however, have yielded contradictory results. While there is evidence to suggest that exposure to violence adversely affects moral development, it has also been shown that exposure to violence simply influences which moral reasoning style is likely to predominate – justice or care. Beginning with a brief review of moral development theories and of the psychosocial effects of exposure to violence, the present research explored the association between exposure to violence and moral development. This study aimed to determine whether there is an association between gender, moral orientation, and exposure to violence. Based on the literature, it was hypothesised that men would exhibit a justice moral orientation, while women would exhibit a moral orientation based on care. Further, it was expected that men would show higher levels of exposure to violence than women. Exposure to violence was expected to be significantly positively correlated with justice reasoning. A significant association was anticipated between gender, exposure to violence and moral orientation. In particular, it was hypothesised that greater exposure to violence would have an adverse effect on moral development. This association, in turn, was expected to be significantly related to gender. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

The present study explores the barriers to academic achievement of first year African / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2006. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-06, page: 2580.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-64).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: Audrey McCray Sorrells. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-213).

Considerable attention has in recent times been given to the attitudes of secondary school pupils towards Geography among black schools in South Africa. Many reasons account for this. It is partly because of the poor results and falling numbers of pupils in the discipline. Concern has also been expressed on the relevance of the Geography syllabus to the black pupils. Evidence suggests that these problems are evident in Transkei. The need therefore exists to assess pupils' attitudes towards Geography in Transkei. Arising from this background, this study sets out to assess the attitudes of secondary school pupils in Transkei towards Geography. Two hundred and thirty four pupils from eight urban and rural secondary schools in the Butterworth District of the Republic of Transkei were used in the study. Attitudes were measured in terms of "interest in Geography", "desire to study the discipline", "commitment to Geography" and the perceived relevance of the discipline. Through the use of techniques such as percentages, chi-square and principal component analysis - among others - for the analysis of the data, the following information emerged from the study: (1) Geography is generally perceived as being worthy of study; (2) Differences in responses were noted to result from a complex of factors which were grouped into home environmental factors and school environmental ones. (3) The major factor influencing attitudes towards Geography was noted to be home environmental conditions.In general pupils from lower income families expressed more positive views about the worth of Geography than those from the upper income families. From the above findings, it has been proposed that teachers and educational planners need to be made aware of these findings as they are important for classroom practice. It has also been recommended that there is a need to improve certain school practices such as taking pupils on Geography excursions more often as factors such as this were shown to improve pupils' attitudes towards the discipline.

M.Ed. / The aim of this study was to explore, with the intention of providing a rich description, the experiences of black women enrolled at an historically white university. Limited studies in the South African context have revealed that many women have alienating and marginalising experiences in formal education from as early as primary schooling up to their learning experiences as adults. This often takes the form of disrespect from patriarchal teachers and institutions or androcentric content or information that excludes or undermines the efforts and experiences of women. Furthermore, the general position of women in broader society is filled with disparity and devaluation, as women are often the primary care givers, the lowest paid employees in formal employment, and unpaid workers within the family structure. For black women, who are often triply exploited through race, gender and economic disadvantage, the struggle to belong and even survive within higher ' education appears to be more challenging. As a result, black women sometimes view the university as alienating, androcentric and patriarchal which leads to descriptions of feeling restricted, silent, invisible or the 'other'. Traditional and cultural restrictions placed on black women often further exacerbate these experiences. Consequently, black women's stories are neither told nor heard within broader society or within texts in higher education institutions. The overarching perspective in which the study was grounded was that of socio constructivism, using qualitative research methods to explore the experiences of black women pursuing post graduate studies at an historically white university. Data for this study were collected via semi-structured, in-depth interviews with ten black women within the Education Faculty. I used the constant comparative method of data analysis to search for recurring themes and patterns. From the findings, it was clear that the prevailing perception of participants was that racial bias was present in almost every experience in higher education. In addition participants cited a number of constraints, which impacted negatively on their experiences. Many participants also reported a perceived lack of support from lecturers, which exacerbated an already challenging situation. As opposed to the many negative experiences, some positive experiences related to professional growth and learning opportunities were cited. Some participants also made observations about measures for the university to become more accessible to black women. The main implications arising out of the study are that management needs to endorse policy to deal with issues of both obvious and subtle racial bias. Staff development training, which incorporates methods for dealing appropriately with adult learners and practices that promote woman-positive and culturally responsive programmes, must compliment this. In addition, greater support should be afforded students, particularly part- time students, for increased opportunities to consult with lecturers and effective language tutoring. Accessible measures for part time students to raise their complaints via the SRC should also be created. Moreover, serious consideration needs to be given to the provision of adequate, affordable and efficient childcare facilities as a service for all students.