MEdPsych--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: After the apartheid regime of the white minority was dismantled, a new democratically elected government took power for the first time in the history of South Africa. This newly elected government brought new curriculum policies that have completely changed the education system in the country. Among was the Curriculum 2005,which used outcomes based education (OBE) for as the organising principle. The aim of this study is to gain insight in to the experiences of Grade 12 learners who attended a Life Skills programme run by Association for Educational transformation (ASSET). ASSET is a non-governmental organisation that provided supplementary tuition to Grade 11 and 12 learners in the Khayelitsha and Langa Centre. The research methodology was a qualitative case study of Xhosa-speaking boys and girls who were between seventeen and twenty-one years of age. The participants were selected from learners who lived in Khayelitsha and who are attending the Life Skills programme at the centre. The methods used during data collection were interviews, note taking and a literature review. The data analysis was done by using a procedure of content analysis where manageable units of data were coded into categories and themes. These themes and categories were interpreted and matched with the relevant literature. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ IV The findings of the study suggest that the Life Skills programme run by ASSET helped learners in acquiring life skills that may help them to handle challenges they may face. The learners interviewed for the study indicated that the programme had helped them to deal effectively with challenges such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and relationships. In addition, the learners suggested that the programme had expanded their knowledge about careers, tertiary institutions and the field of work. The findings of the study will be used by ASSET for further programme development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nadat die apartheidsregime van die wit minderheid afgetakel is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika die mag oorgeneem. Hierdie nuutverkose regering het nuwe kurrikulumbeleid bepaal wat die onderwysstelsel in die land heeltemal verander het, en onder andere Kurrikulum 2005 en uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys (UGO) vir skole ingesluit het. Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die lewensvaardigheidsprogram vir graad I2-leerders wat deur ASSET by die Khayelitsha Sentrum bedryf word. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om insig te kry in die ervaring van graad I2-leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram van ASSET bygewoon het. Nadat die apartheideidsbewind van die wit minderheidsgroep ontbind is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika aan bewind gekom." Die ondersoek is belangrik omdat dit leerders sal help om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om vraagstukke wat met MIVNigs, persoonlike probleme, misdaad en geweld, armoede, tienerswangerskap, verhoudings en beroepskeuses verband hou, te hanteer. Die navorsingsmetode was 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie met Xhosasprekende seuns en dogters van tussen sewentien en een-en-twintig jaar oud. Die proefpersone is geselekteer uit leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram by die Sentrum bygewoon het, veral dié wat in Khayelitsha woon, omdat hulle die Sentrum maklik kon bereik. Die metodes wat tydens data-insameling gebruik is, was onderhoude, aantekeninge en literatuuroorsig. Die data-analise is gedoen volgens 'n prosedure van oop kodering waartydens hanteerbare data-eenhede volgens kategorieë en temas gekodeer is. Hierdie temas en kategorieë is geïnterpreteer en met die literatuur vergelyk. Die navorsingsresultate dui daarop dat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram wat deur ASSET bedryf word, leerders gehelp het om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om uitdagings te hanteer. Die leerders met wie daar vir die ondersoek onderhoude gevoer is, het aangetoon dat die program hulle gehelp het om uitdagings soos tienerswangerskap, MIV/Vigs, dwelmmisbruik en verhoudings doeltreffend te hanteer. Verder het die leerders aangedui dat die program hulle kennis aangaande beroepe, tersiêre instellings en die wêreld van werk uitgebrei het. Voorstelle met betrekking tot die ondersoek is gemaak.

Thesis (MEdPsyc)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: After the apartheid regime of the white minority was dismantled, a new democratically elected government took power for the first time in the history of South Africa. This newly elected government brought new curriculum policies that have completely changed the education system in the country. Among was the Curriculum 2005,which used outcomes based education (OBE) for as the organising principle. The aim of this study is to gain insight in to the experiences of Grade 12 learners who attended a Life Skills programme run by Association for Educational transformation (ASSET). ASSET is a non-governmental organisation that provided supplementary tuition to Grade 11 and 12 learners in the Khayelitsha and Langa Centre. The research methodology was a qualitative case study of Xhosa-speaking boys and girls who were between seventeen and twenty-one years of age. The participants were selected from learners who lived in Khayelitsha and who are attending the Life Skills programme at the centre. The methods used during data collection were interviews, note taking and a literature review. The data analysis was done by using a procedure of content analysis where manageable units of data were coded into categories and themes. These themes and categories were interpreted and matched with the relevant literature. The findings of the study suggest that the Life Skills programme run by ASSET helped learners in acquiring life skills that may help them to handle challenges they may face. The learners interviewed for the study indicated that the programme had helped them to deal effectively with challenges such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and relationships. In addition, the learners suggested that the programme had expanded their knowledge about careers, tertiary institutions and the field of work. The findings of the study will be used by ASSET for further programme development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nadat die apartheidsregime van die wit minderheid afgetakel is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika die mag oorgeneem. Hierdie nuutverkose regering het nuwe kurrikulumbeleid bepaal wat die onderwysstelsel in die land heeltemal verander het, en onder andere Kurrikulum 2005 en uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys (UGO) vir skole ingesluit het. Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die lewensvaardigheidsprogram vir graad I2-leerders wat deur ASSET by die Khayelitsha Sentrum bedryf word. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om insig te kry in die ervaring van graad I2-leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram van ASSET bygewoon het. Nadat die apartheideidsbewind van die wit minderheidsgroep ontbind is, het 'n nuutverkose demokratiese regering vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika aan bewind gekom." Die ondersoek is belangrik omdat dit leerders sal help om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om vraagstukke wat met MIVNigs, persoonlike probleme, misdaad en geweld, armoede, tienerswangerskap, verhoudings en beroepskeuses verband hou, te hanteer. Die navorsingsmetode was 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie met Xhosasprekende seuns en dogters van tussen sewentien en een-en-twintig jaar oud. Die proefpersone is geselekteer uit leerders wat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram by die Sentrum bygewoon het, veral dié wat in Khayelitsha woon, omdat hulle die Sentrum maklik kon bereik. Die metodes wat tydens data-insameling gebruik is, was onderhoude, aantekeninge en literatuuroorsig. Die data-analise is gedoen volgens 'n prosedure van oop kodering waartydens hanteerbare data-eenhede volgens kategorieë en temas gekodeer is. Hierdie temas en kategorieë is geïnterpreteer en met die literatuur vergelyk. Die navorsingsresultate dui daarop dat die lewensvaardigheidsprogram wat deur ASSET bedryf word, leerders gehelp het om lewensvaardighede te verwerf wat hulle kan help om uitdagings te hanteer. Die leerders met wie daar vir die ondersoek onderhoude gevoer is, het aangetoon dat die program hulle gehelp het om uitdagings soos tienerswangerskap, MIV/Vigs, dwelmmisbruik en verhoudings doeltreffend te hanteer. Verder het die leerders aangedui dat die program hulle kennis aangaande beroepe, tersiêre instellings en die wêreld van werk uitgebrei het. Voorstelle met betrekking tot die ondersoek is gemaak.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study provides a description of the writing done by Freshman English students in classes other than English at The University of Arizona. The study involved three aspects of observation and documentation of writing habits: a Questionnaire administered to 1,442 students, a Writing Checklist completed by twenty-three students over a one week period, and case study interviews of five students. All three aspects were considered in the findings for the following research questions: (1) What kinds of writing tasks are students doing in classes other than English? (2) How frequent are these tasks? (3) What quantities of writing are being done? (4) To what audiences are the students writing? The population for the study is representative of the university. The task of Taking notes was the most frequently occurring by far. Journals and Creative writing were the least frequent, also by a wide margin. Students felt that teachers were more concerned with content than with presentation. Little in-class time was spent on pre-writing activities. The highest responses were to questions about students' values and attitudes concerning writing. More school writing seems to take place on Monday and Wednesday, with Friday the lowest week day work response. Little work in writing occurs on the weekend. All three aspects point to similar conclusions: students are not writing very much, they are not writing in very many different modes, they are not getting very much guidance in their writing, and they are not getting very much affirmation for writing as a valid cognitive skill in the classroom. Some students are receiving some of these benefits, but the majority of university students are not. Little research has been done on university students to determine how much and what kinds of writing they are doing in classes other than English. If our society continues to value writing as an important skill, universities must re-examine the role of writing in college classes. Without the process of discovery that occurs when writing, the student's education and cognitive growth are greatly limited. Writing is a valuable cognitive aid that must be used in all departments.

This investigation attempted to answer the following research questions, based upon student participation in "hands on" television production activities: (1) What shifts in the students' perceived acceptance of themselves occurred, (2) what shifts in the students' perceived acceptance of others occurred, and (3) what shifts in the students' perceived acceptance of school occurred? In seeking answers to the above three questions, the investigator located seven volunteers from a high school dropout retrieval program. As it developed, all of them were of Mexican American heritage. This investigation was based upon a theoretical framework drawn from perceptual psychology, education, and television. The framework consisted of television as a perceptual experience tending to effect acceptance of self, others, and school. A small n research design with multiple measures was used during this investigation. Data were collected with a student self-report measure using a modified Likert-type response mode. Qualitative data were collected from student interviews and investigator observations recorded as fieldnotes. The research results indicated no significant patterns in acceptance of self and others as a group. The qualitative data revealed the variety of individual shifts in acceptance of self, others and school. Certain unanticipated results occurred because the participants were Mexican American. These included cultural-related observations. The data indicated that "hands on" television production activities involve "learning in context" processes which might have important implications for dropout retrieval programs. The investigator recommended further "learning in context" TV or video studies with multicultural groups of students.

The present study was undertaken to determine the relationships between characteristics of a Negro college environment and the value systems of its student body. The study also investigated relationships between a Negro college and non-Negro colleges based upon characteristics of the college environment and value systems of the college population.

The purpose of this study was to assess college students' attitudes toward pregnancy and women in the work force following the passage of the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. Data were obtained from 347 students at a university in North Texas during the spring semester of 1997. Gender, age, employment status, parental status, and citizenship were independent variables hypothesized to influence attitudes toward pregnant working women. Gender was significant for the following factors: pregnant women as employees (p<.001), emotional stereotypes (p<.001), choosing family or career (p<.001), and physical limitations (p<.001). Those students 17-19-years-old had a more negative attitude toward pregnant women choosing work over family (p<.001) than did the older students.

The study investigated the ability of an extracurricular program to influence environmental responsibility of sixth and seventh graders. The Children's Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Survey (CHEAKS) was evaluated for appropriateness in assessing the worth of this particular environmental education strategy emphasizing water quality fieldwork and technology. CHEAKS is designed with psychometric reliability and validity that may be used in comparing disparate programs. Wilcoxon two sample tests were used to analyze data gathered from two student groups; one participated in an "Enviro-Mentals Club"; the other received no treatment. Analysis showed no significant change in environmental attitudes between groups, but did show significance (p <= 0.05) in environmental knowledge growth. Therefore, the investigated program had marginal success in influencing environmental responsibility.

The problem with which this study is concerned is the association between systematic exposure to information about computers and attitude changes to computers among students who are non-computer majors. The experimental design includes a semester length course in introduction to computers at a small community college in Texas. The study has a twofold purpose. The first is to determine the pre-instruction direction and valence of attitudes of non-computer majors towards computers. The second is to determine the post-instruction direction and valence of attitudes of non-computer majors towards computers. A questionnaire was used to measure attitudes of students towards computers as a pre-test and post-test. The test results were encoded for computer statistical analysis. To determine the valence of changes in attitudes, chi-square tests were applied for each statement of the questionnaire with combinations between pre-test and post-test and each of the variables: gender, age, student performance, and instructor. To determine changes of direction in attitudes, a phi coefficient was applied for each statement of the questionnaire. The following conclusions may be drawn from the data collected for this study. 1. Based upon gender, age, student performance, and the variable of instructor, there was a significant difference in the valence of changes in attitudes towards computers. 2. Based upon gender, age, student performance, and the variable of instructor, there was no difference in the direction of change in attitudes towards computers.