Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2006 / The purpose of the research study is to investigate the relationship between body mass and self-concept among adolescent female university students. First year female students from three different Schools and Faculties at the University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus participated in the study. They were 75 in number. The study has both a quantitative and qualitative aspects. The qualitative was used to complement the quantitative aspect. The Rosenberg Self-esteem Measure was used to measure self-esteem. For the qualitative aspect, a topic guide was used for the focus group discussion prepared and used for the focus group discussion. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation were used to analyse the quantitative data. Results show that there is a relationship between body mass and self-concept and that overweight participants tend to have a low self-esteem. This low self-esteem was perceived to be aggravated by a number of factors like the attitude of the media and the society. Participants who are overweight also indicated that they are limited in certain areas of their lives (e.g., sports) as a result of their body mass. They expressed mixed feelings and frustration when it comes to such areas of like. Support groups, life-skills programmes and psychotherapy should be made available and attainable for overweight female adolescents.

Abstract not available

Offering courses that promote, encourage, and support physical activity among college students has been an aim of physical education departments for the past century (Sargeant, 1900). Even so, this population has been identified in Healthy People 2010 as a target population segment in need of physical activity intervention. Historically, such coursework has almost exclusively been activity and skill-based, which made it particularly appealing to students who were already active while those who were not physically active generally avoided such courses (Scantling, Strand, Lackey, & McAleese, 1995). Over time, alternative courses and course formats began to evolve, including conceptually-based Lifetime Fitness for Health (LFH) courses (Corbin, 1969). Such courses were designed to promote wellness-related behaviors among college students, including physical activity participation. These courses have increased in popularity over the past 30 years (Hensley, 2001) and are now included by some colleges and universities as part of the students' graduation requirements (Cardinal, Jacques, & Levi, 2002). Some colleges and universities have also begun offering on-line versions of their LFH courses (Conlee, 2000), but little research has been done on the effectiveness of these courses and the influences delivery format (i.e. face-to-face vs. web-based) may have. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of a theoretically-based, LFH course on college students' behavioral and psychological physical activity orientation. The independent variables were course format (i.e., face-to-face vs. web-based vs. control) and time (i.e., baseline and post-intervention). The study was conducted over 10 weeks, using intact groups. The dependent variables were exercise behavior, and self-efficacy, decisional balance, and the behavioral and cognitive processes of change (all from the Transtheoretical Model). Of the initial 151 people enrolled in the study, 109 (72.2%) returned post-intervention questionnaires and were therefore retained in the study. Retention rates did not differ across groups (p>.30). The majority of participants were female (60.3%), Caucasian (81.5%), and held either freshman or sophomore class standing (80.1%). Participants were, on average, 21.3 (SD = 5.7) years old, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 24.3 (SD=5.4). The majority of participants were in the preparation stage of change (45.7%), followed by maintenance (35.1%), action (12.6%), contemplation (5.3%), and precontemplation (1.3%). Exercise behavior improved significantly over time (p<.0 1); however, the main effect for groups (p=.06), and the group by time interaction were not significant (p=.31). Significant main effects were observed between groups (p<.01), and over time (p<.01) for the vector of means comprised of self-efficacy, decisional balance, and the cognitive and behavioral processes of change. The group by time interaction for the vector of means was not significant (p=.17). Follow-up F-tests revealed the group differences were due to differences in the cognitive (p<.05) and behavioral (p<.05) processes of change, with no differences observed for either self-efficacy (p=.35) or decisional balance (p=96). Time effects were observed for self-efficacy (p<.05), and the cognitive (p<.001) and behavioral (p<.01)processes of change, with no difference observed on decisional balance (p=.39). While not entirely supportive, the results due suggest some promising strategies for enhancing the efficacy of LFH courses, regardless of delivery format. / Graduation date: 2004

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine from the treated students' perspective what teacher behaviors facilitate recovery and what teacher behaviors inhibit recovery. Study participants included 16 high school students who had completed treatment for alcohol and drug dependency in grades 9-12, and 112 teachers. Students and teachers were interviewed to better explain the phenomenon from their perspectives. Data gathered from student interviews, student journal recordings, observer notes, and teacher interviews were used as corroborating data. The constant comparative method was used to analyze data (Glaser & Strauss, 1967).Five major themes emerged from the data analysis explaining the effects of teacher behavior on students who had completed treatment for drug and alcohol dependency. The data were segmented into themes using a bi-polar structure. These themes were: (1) student performance; (2) student communication; (3) student relations: security; (4) student: affective; and, (5) authority: student behavior. These themes yielded student identified causal conditions, intervening conditions, and action/reaction strategies that either inhibited or facilitated recovery.The data showed students did not have neutral feelings; they had either negative or positive feelings about their personal interactions with teachers or their observations of teachers' interaction with other teachers and/or other students. Teacher behaviors which resulted in negative student behavior consequences in each of the five major theme categories were not helpful to students and inhibited their recovery. Teacher behaviors which resulted in positive student behavior consequences in each of the five major theme categories helped students and facilitated their recovery.

Today's higher education institutions are experiencing a different type of student population from previous years. They are known as gadget fanatics, social networkers, Internet enthusiasts, optimists, multitaskers, and inductive learners. Their viewpoints and aptitudes about technology and the Internet differ from others who rarely use it (Oblinger, 2003; Frand 2000). This population will present many challenges to American postsecondary institutions. Facilities, faculty, and curriculum will not be prepared to address their habits and expectations. They are called the Millennials. In an effort to start addressing the educational needs of the Millennial student population, postsecondary institutions must transition from the "old generation of learning" to the "new generation of learning" (Milliron, 2006). The purpose of the study is to explore the Millennial students' and faculty's perceptions of a new generation of learning classrooms. There were five research questions for this study: (1) What are the perceptions of a new generation of learning classrooms by Millennial students? (2) How do Millennial students relate to a new generation of learning classrooms? (3) What are the perceptions of a new generation of learning classrooms by faculty? (4) How do faculty relate to a new generation of learning classrooms? and (5) How Millennial students' and faculty's perceptions on the new generational of learning classrooms compare? Since this was a qualitative study, the Interactive Qualitative Analysis (Northcutt & McCoy, 2004) was the research design utilized to collect and analyze data that answered the research questions. A purposive sample for this study included a total of 47 participants: 26 Millennial students and 21 faculty members. One component of the research design involved focus groups for the Millennial students and faculty. Both groups identified the following themes, which were used to create an interview protocol: technology, appearance, teaching style, learning environment, writing/work space, classroom mood, climate, emotions, group assignments, and social networking. Analysis of the interview text included axial and theoretical coding. This contributed to the development of a mind map for the Millennial students and faculty. Comparisons of these two composite mindmaps reveal their perceptions of the new generation of learning classrooms.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

No description available.

In this inquiry, I used a qualitative-portraiture approach to examine the social, cultural, and psychological influences on piano students' decisions to continue taking piano lessons. I collected data between 1997 and 2002. Data types included field notes, interpretive memos, audiotaped and videotaped piano lessons, audiotaped one-on-one interviews and retrospective interviews, email messages, and written documents. The main sources of data used for analysis were transcribed videotapes of piano lessons in the music studio and interviews with the teacher and three of her promising students. I drew on Vygotsky Halliday, and Wenger's theoretical frameworks to conceptualize my understanding of the social, cultural, and psychological issues that influence promising music students' commitment to learning music. I used Vygotsky's social-psychological-developmental theory of learning and Halliday's social theory of language to portray the significance of piano students' experiences in a music studio, their relationships with their teacher, and the teachers' use of language in the decision. Vygotsky's perspective on volitional-affective tendencies provided a framework for understanding how students' abilities to cope with their emotions influenced them to continue their music studies. I drew on Halliday's concept of Register to analyze the transcribed videotaped lesson data sets. I used Wenger's notion of Community of Practice to portray the social, cultural, and historical characteristics that play a role in motivating students to learn music. I found that being socialized into the music community, developing musical competencies, becoming a self-regulated learner, and being able to cope with the emotional experiences of playing and performing shape students' decisions to continue piano lessons. The results of my findings support that teachers influence their students' decision to continue their music studies by socializing them into the practices

AIM. The aim of this study was to describe the utilization of family planning methods by the nursing students in the selected nursing education institution. METHODOLOGY. A non-experimental descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach was used to describe the utilization of family planning methods by the nursing students. For the study, the quota sampling technique where 106 nursing students were selected. A self-developed questionnaire based on a conceptual framework, study objectives, and existing questionnaires was used as a data collection instrument. FINDINGS. The results yielded by the study showed that 63.9% (n = 62) used family planning methods before coming to college which was the majority of the respondents. Of the total number of participants, 35.1% (n = 34) who never used family planning methods before were still not using any method. The majority of students using family planning methods perceive this as beneficial. The perceived self-efficacy by the users is also high. A recommendation for future practice is that there should be health information available to students during orientation. The name used for these services may also need to be looked at. The qualitative study on the topic may yield different or similar results. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.