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The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate and analyze how social workers experience the work Social Services' do with children in foster homes. This study aims to identify what the positive and negative aspects are from working with this group and to determine what changes can be made to improve the services for children of foster carers. The data that was collected from interviews with eight social workers were analyzed through thematic analysis as well as Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. The analysis reveals that the work of Social Services' affects the children in foster homes on micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro-levels. Based on the reports from the social workers the results indicate that their social service offices include home-staying children in the investigation phases. The children are less included during the initial process and at the ending of placements. Most social workers expressed that working with home-staying children is crucial to reduce the risk of placement breakdowns. Additionally, they emphasized the need for more frequent work with this group. Based on the results, this study suggests several possible service improvements to address the needs of home-staying children. Despite policy gaps, some municipalities actively engage with home- staying children.

The aim of the study is to contribute with knowledge about how young adults with intellectual disability experience the transition from upper secondary school to working life. The following research questions have been formulated based on the aim: How do ten young adults with intellectual disability describe the transition from school to work or daily activities? What factors affect the young adults`chances of getting a job or daily activity after finishing school? Which parts of their education has facilitated or created barriers for the young adults`transition from school to work or daily activities?  The study is based on a qualitative method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten young adults with intellectual disabilities who have completed the upper secondary school. The analysis and interpretation work of the study´s empirical data material is based on Bronfenbrenner´s (1979) ecological systems theory. These systems include the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem. The study´s results indicate that workplace-based learning is a central factor in promoting young adults with intellectual disability´s establishment in the labour market. The results also show that the informants in the study do not remember and have difficulties explaining the transition process from school to work or daily activities. The young adults want to work, but it is challenging for this group to get a job in the open labour market. They have skills that are fit for the labour market, but need support to cope with working life. Collaborations between different actors and social support are required for this to work. / Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om hur unga vuxna upplever övergången från anpassad gymnasieskola till arbetsliv. Följande frågeställningar har formulerats utifrån syftet: Hur beskriver tio unga vuxna som tidigare har läst nationellt program vid anpassad gymnasieskola, sin väg från skola till arbete eller daglig sysselsättning? Vilka faktorer påverkar de unga vuxnas chanser att få ett arbete eller daglig sysselsättning efter avslutad skolgång? Vad i skolgången underlättar, respektive skapar barriärer för de unga vuxnas väg från skola till arbete eller daglig sysselsättning?  Studien grundar sig på en kvalitativ metod och bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio unga vuxna som har avslutat nationellt program i anpassad gymnasieskola. Analys- och tolkningsarbetet av studiens empiriska datamaterial utgår ifrån Bronfenbrenners (1979) utvecklingsekologiska teori, som innehåller de fyra nivåerna; mikrosystem, mesosystem, exosystem och makrosystem. Studiens resultat tyder på att arbetsplatsförlagt lärande utgör en central faktor för att främja unga vuxna med intellektuell funktionsnedsättnings etablering på arbetsmarknaden. Resultatet visar även att informanterna i studien inte kommer ihåg och har svårt att redogöra för övergångsprocessen från anpassad gymnasieskola till arbete eller daglig sysselsättning. De unga vuxna vill ha ett arbete men det är en utmaning för denna målgrupp att få en anställning på den öppna arbetsmarknaden. De har färdigheter som är användbara på arbetsmarknaden, men behöver anpassningar och stöd för att klara av arbetslivet. För att detta ska fungera krävs samarbeten mellan olika aktörer och socialt stöd.

The ami of the study is to contribute with knowledge about how young adults with intellectual disability experience the trasition from upper secondary school to working life. The following research questions have been formulated based on the aim: How do ten young adults with intellectual disability describe the transition from school to work or daily activities? What factors affect the young adults' chances of getting a job or daily activity after finishing school? Which parts of their education has facilitated or created barriers for the young adults' transition from school to work or daily activity? The study is based on a qualitative method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten youn adults with intellectual disabilitities who have completed upper secondary school. The analysis and interpretation work of the study's empirical data material is based on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory. These systems include the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. The study's resluts indicate that workplace-based learning is a central factor in promoting young adults with intellectual disability's establishment in the labour market. The results also show that the informants in the study do not remember and have difficulties explaining the transition from school to work or daily activities. The young adults want to work, but it is challenging for this group to get a job in the open labour market. They have skills that are fit for the labour market, but need support to cope with working life. Collaborations between different actors and social support are required for this to work.

There has been a paucity of research concerning vocational training of learners with special education needs. The literature study focused on a vocational training and transition planning programme in the United States of America, which could provide as a useful guide to educators and school managers, when implementing vocational training and transitional planning in South Africa. Research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with educators and principals at special schools, observation of learners whilst performing skills training and documentary analysis, to explore whether learners with barriers to learning are receiving skills training that could position them for employment in the open labour market after they exit school. Findings revealed that principals and educators at special schools are faced with challenges in the learner’s microsystem, exosystem and macrosystem, resulting in the inadequate preparation of learners with special education needs for employment in the open labour market. Based on the findings, recommendations in terms of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory were made, to increase the opportunity for learners who experience barriers to learning, to be engaged in meaningful employment. / Education Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis (MEdPsych))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Teachers have been strategically positioned to mediate information that might lead to increased HIV and AIDS knowledge and preventative measures among school-based youth. This study attempted to understand such teachers' knowledge and attitudes within a particular social context using the Bio-ecological systems model of Bronfenbrenner. The systems model provided the framework for understanding teachers' knowledge and attitudes of HIV and AIDS given their choices in terms of background, knowledge, attitude, and their links with multiple systems. The study was conducted within the qualitative paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen intermediate phase primary school teachers from seven primary schools in Phillipi, Cape Town. This study showed that teachers were aware of being part of complex systems. They expressed their difficulties with teaching HIV and AIDS education in the classroom, particularly conditioned by cultural taboos. This study further showed that teachers. interactions, particularly with people living with HIV and AIDS, changed their knowledge of, and attitudes towards, HIV and AIDS and the teaching thereof. It also pointed to the dissonance between teachers' beliefs and behaviours in serving people living with HIV and AIDS. For some teachers, religious beliefs provided the means with which to deal with the HIV and AIDS pandemic. For others, particularly some female teachers, unequal gendered roles and expectations with regard to sex and sexuality in their communities had a direct impact on the spread of HIV and AIDS and safe-sex practices (knowledge) in their communities. Finally, teachers were actively and critically engaged with systems that impact upon them; particularly, the Macrosystem of the Education Department (in this case, the Western Cape), and the Microsystems of the societies and communities within which their schools were located. In summary, the study showed that a contextual, system-related approach to teachers in the classroom highlighted how they related to HIV and AIDS. Such complex, and inter-connected relations cannot be ignored by teachers, educators, policy-makers, material developers and trainers. More studies will give us a better model of the challenges and opportunities facing those who are helping stem the tide of the pandemic. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onderwysers is in 'n strategiese posisie om inligting oor te dra aan jong leerders wat sal lei tot meer kennis van MIV en ook sal voorkom dat dit versprei. In hierdie studie is onderneem om onderwysers se kennis en denkwyse in 'n besondere sosiale verband te verstaan, deur gebruik te maak van die Bio-ekologiese stelsels-model van Bronfenbrenner. Die stelsels-model voorsien die raamwerk om onderwysers se kennis en houdings van MIV/VIGS te verstaan, aangesien hulle keuses maak in terme van hulle agtergrond, kennis, denkwyse en hulle kontak met meervoudige stelsels. Hierdie studie is uitgevoer in die kwalitatiewe paradigma. Halfgestruktureerde onderhoude is uitgevoer met dertien intermediêre fase primêre-skool onderwysers by sewe primêre skole in Philippi, Kaapstad. Hierdie studie het bewys dat onderwysers bewus is daarvan dat hulle deel vorm van ingewikkelde stelsels. Hulle het te kenne gegee dat hulle dit moeilik vind om MIV/VIGS opvoeding te gee in die klaskamer, veral as gevolg van kulturele taboes. Hierdie studie het ook bewys dat onderwysers se interaksie, veral met mense wat met MIV/VIGS saamleef, hulle kennis van en houding teenoor MIV/VIGS, en die onderrig daarvan, verander het. Dit het ook die verskil tussen onderwysers se godsdienstige oortuigings en houdings uitgewys wanneer hulle in kontak kom met mense wat met MIV/VIGS saamleef. Sommige onderwysers het hulle godsdienstige oortuigings gebruik wanneer hulle met die MIV/VIGS pandemie gewerk het. Sommige onderwyseresse veral, het gevind dat ongelyke geslagsrolle en verwagtinge ten opsigte van seks en seksualiteit in hulle gemeenskappe 'n direkte invloed gehad het op die verspreiding van MIV/VIGS en veilige sekspraktyke in hulle gemeenskappe. Onderwysers was aktief betrokke by stelsels wat 'n invloed op hulle gehad het, veral die Makrostelsel van die Onderwysdepartement (in hierdie geval die Wes-Kaap), en die Mikrostelsels van die samelewings en gemeenskappe waar die skole hulself bevind. In opsomming, het hierdie studie bewys hoedat 'n kontekstuele, stelsel- verwante benadering tot onderwysers in die klaskamer in verhouding staan met kennis en houdings teenoor MIV/VIGS. Sulke komplekse en onderlinge verhoudings kan nie deur onderwysers, beleidmakers, materiële ontwikkelaars en afrigters geïgnoreer word nie. Verdere navorsing en studies sal vir ons 'n meer effektiewe model bied van die uitdagings en geleenthede wat onderwysers in die gesig staar en wat sal help om die pandemie hok te slaan.

In South Africa, the issue of learners reading below their grade level is of great concern. In order to overcome this problem, the Department of Education made it possible that learners be taught to read early in Grade 1. However, despite the learners being taught to learn to read at an early stage, numerous studies have revealed that most of the learners, including those in Grade 3, are still experiencing reading problems. The purpose of this study is to explore how Grade 3 teachers support learners who experience reading problems in Full-service schools. Full-service schools are mainstream schools that were transformed to attend to the underlying inclusive principles and to provide quality education to all learners. In this study, a qualitative approach was used to collect data at the Tshwane North District in the Gauteng Province. The interview questions were piloted with one of the Grade 3 class teachers from a neighbouring full-service school. Then after the pilot study, eleven Grade 3 class teachers and six Learner Support Teachers from three identified full-service schools were interviewed and observed in their classroom while supporting learners experiencing reading problems. The documents that they used were also analysed. To analyse the empirical data an inductive approach and the method for analysing data suggested by Creswell (2000) was followed. The findings revealed that teachers who participated in this study followed a more prescriptive approach of supporting learners who were experiencing reading problems. Furthermore, the findings revealed they used different reading strategies and reading methods even though there were some challenges that hampered the implementation of the support. The issue of differentiating and adapting the reading support to suit the diverse reading needs of learners arose from the study. This was due to the fact that most of the teachers were not trained to adapt the reading support based on the reading needs of the learners. Based on the findings, recommendations were made, and guidelines to draw up an effective reading support based on an integrated approach for Grade 3 learners who experience reading problems in full-service schools was developed. The guidelines combined two theories that underpinned the study, namely, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. The researcher concluded that learners’ improvement in terms of their reading abilities relies on how teachers provided support to them. Hence it is important for teachers to be equipped with sufficient skills and knowledge to provide individualised reading support to learners experiencing reading problems. / Inclusive Education / Ph. D. (Inclusive Education)

There has been a paucity of research concerning vocational training of learners with special education needs. The literature study focused on a vocational training and transition planning programme in the United States of America, which could provide as a useful guide to educators and school managers, when implementing vocational training and transitional planning in South Africa. Research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with educators and principals at special schools, observation of learners whilst performing skills training and documentary analysis, to explore whether learners with barriers to learning are receiving skills training that could position them for employment in the open labour market after they exit school. Findings revealed that principals and educators at special schools are faced with challenges in the learner’s microsystem, exosystem and macrosystem, resulting in the inadequate preparation of learners with special education needs for employment in the open labour market. Based on the findings, recommendations in terms of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory were made, to increase the opportunity for learners who experience barriers to learning, to be engaged in meaningful employment. / Education Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The pace of technological advancement and growth in the twenty-first century continues to soar at unprecedented levels and beyond human imagination. As the fourth industrial revolution unfolds, it has become increasingly difficult to predict the direction technological innovation will take in the not too distant future. Digital technologies have become an integral part of every aspect of human existence (work, play, schooling and personal relationships). The purpose of this study was to explore the various ways mobile technological gadgets like cell phones, tablets and laptops could be leveraged to promote a culture of leisure reading amongst a group of Zimbabwean adolescent learners. Data was collected using the literacy practices interview, mobile reading diaries, focus group interviews and the researcher’s personal field notes. Theoretically, the study was guided primarily by Urie Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological systems theory. Also, the study was supported by Guthrie and Wigfield's reader engagement model and Turner and Hicks' connected reader model. The empirical data collected through the data collection instruments were analysed inductively. The findings revealed that adolescent learners are a digital generation whose reading needs are ever growing and expectations are ever changing. The adolescent participants expect their reading to be like the rest of their digital lives, which is quick, uninterrupted, personalised and smart. It was found that the adolescent participants like to read on their terms, as they dislike being told when to read or what to read. Three reader identities were revealed namely; the eager reader, the ‘fifty fifty’ reader and the non-reader. The adolescent participants who were not already mobile readers readily accepted and adopted mobile reading as it afforded them vast reading opportunities. Besides, the findings of the study revealed that participants encountered many challenges, which in some instances militated against their mobile reading endeavours. These challenges were because of mobile phone use restrictions in schools, prohibitive data costs, a strong emphasis on academic reading as opposed to leisure reading and internet connectivity problems amongst other issues. In this study, the recommendations and guidelines outlined provide a framework with which schools, parents, mobile reading application developers and policymakers can adopt to support a robust mobile reading culture amongst Zimbabwean adolescent learners. The researcher concluded that mobile reading devices are a novel, noble and credible means through which they can foster positive leisure literacy practices amongst Zimbabwean adolescents. / Language Education, Arts and Culture / Ph. D. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)

Text in English with abstracts in English and Sesotho / Chemical substance abuse remains a major global health and social problem in a South African context. Social workers are one of the professionals who provide social welfare services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. However, social workers are not prepared enough in terms of training and workshops to provide drug dependency treatment to adolescents abusing chemical substances. This study therefore contributes to an emerging body of literature on chemical substance abuse, as there is a lack of information within the Department of Social Development in Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality of Limpopo concerning social workers’ preparedness, experiences and challenges in rendering services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. Furthermore, the study will generate new information that will assist the Department of Social Development to make necessary changes to social welfare services rendered to adolescents abusing chemical substances, and consideration will be given when drafting a framework for treating chemical substance abuse. A qualitative approach was adopted to explore, describe and contextualise social workers’ preparedness, experiences and challenges experienced during their work. Participants were selected using a non-probability technique of purposive sampling. As a data collection method, in-depth, one on one semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven social workers working with adolescents abusing chemical substances. Data was analysed using Tesch’s eight steps and verified using Guba and Lincoln’s model to test the trustworthiness of the data. Ethical considerations adhered to throughout this study were informed consent, right to privacy, avoidance of deception, debriefing of participants and management of information. Findings of the study confirmed that there are no clear guidelines in rendering social welfare services to adolescents abusing chemical substances by social workers. The study further revealed that social workers’ training is generic in nature, therefore they are not well trained to render services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. They therefore lack resources and support to adequately execute social welfare services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. Lack of services for adolescents was also identified as a burning issue. Furthermore, treatment and prevention of chemical substance abuse is overlooked. Based on the research findings, recommendations pertaining to social work practice, social work training and education, social welfare policy, and further research were put forward. / Tshomisho ya diokobatsi e dula e le taba e kgolo ya hloba boroko ka ga lefapa la maphelo le tsa setshaba le lefase ka bophara ga mmogo le Africa Borwa. Badirela-leago ke ba bangwe ba ditsibe bao ba fanago ka ditirelo go baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Badirela-leago ga se ba lokishetswe go lekanenego ge go etla go ditaba tsa dithuto le tsebo go baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Thuto ye e tlaleletsa go hlahlo ya tshedimusho yeo elego gona ka diokobatsi, ka ge go hloka tsebo e feleletsego go lekolla gore badirela-leago ba e tukisheditse go tsona,le tseo ba hlakanego le tsona le mathata ao ba gahlanago le ona ge ba shomishana le baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi, ka lefapa la kgoro ya badirela-leago ya Masepala wa Lepelle-Nkumpi Limpopo. Go isha pele, thuto ye e tlo utulla tshedimusho e mpsha yeo e tlo thushango ba lefapa la kgoro ya badirelaleago go dira di phetogo tse bohlokwa tsa go amana le ditirelo tsa baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Tsebo e tletsego e shomishetswe go hlahloba, go hlalosa le go latela maemo a badirela leago ka maikemishetso, tsebo yeo banago le yona le mathata ao ba hlakanago le ona ge ba efa ditirelo go baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Ba tsea karolo mo thutong ye ba kgethilwe ka go shomisha mokgwa wo osa tsebiwego gore go tlo kgethwa bomang, gola gona le morero wa gore go tlo kgethiwa bjang. Tsenelelo ya poledishano gare ga ba tsea karolo ka o tee ka o tee le Monyakishishi, e swerwe bjalo ka mokgwa wa go kgobokantsha tshedimusho le ba direla-leago ba shupa, bao ba filwego ditirelo go baswa ba go shomisha diokobatsi. Go sekwasekwa ga ditshedimusho gotswa go ba tsea karolo go shomishitswe go tswa go Tesch’s dikgato tse seswai (Creswell, 2009:186) tsaba tsa netefatswa gotswa go tshomisho ya Guba and Lincoln’s model (1991:215-222). Melao ya Boitswaro e naganetswe ka mo thutong ye ka go latelela tumelelo ya tsebo, ditokelo tsa sephiri, go efoga go foraforetswa ka maaka, le go fana ka dikeletso le tsamaisho ya ditshedimusho gotswa go ba tsea karolo. / Social Work / M.A.(S.S.) (Social Work)