1,720,975 research outputs found
Dreams to possibilities: a qualitative research study on the personal and career dreams of a group of young South Africans living in contexts of poverty
No full textChildren living in contexts of poverty face challenges and obstacles in their attempts to rise out of their circumstances. These challenges and obstacles might deprive them of personal dreams which limit their capacity for learning and working. During a study-abroad initiative, American students explored the dreams of 26 young South Africans (YSAs) between 13 and 20 years who live in contexts of poverty using semi-structured interviews. The findings of this qualitative study indicate that, despite their adversities, participants still hope for a better future and are aware of the changes needed to create a better environment for themselves and their families. The identified inhibitors and enhancers to the realization of their dreams viewed from the perspective concerted cultivation theory illustrate that young people in contexts of poverty need more focused support than they currently receive in order to provide them with equal opportunities to realize their dreams
Reflective learning in training mental health practitioners
Full text linkhttp://search.sabinet.co.za/WebZ/Authorize?sessionid=0&next=ej/ej_content_academ.html&bad=error/authofail.htm
The relationship between services and resilience: a study of Sesotho-speaking youths
No full texthttp://www.upjournals.co.za/index.php/SWP
A participatory process to facilitate support for learners who display disruptive behaviour in primary school classrooms
Full text linkMEd (Special Needs Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusBronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is the basis for this Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) study, which aims to develop collaborative strategies to facilitate support for learners who display disruptive behaviour. Attention is focused on the powerful capacity of stakeholders in enforcing discipline in schools when they collaborate. The focus of this research study was guided by the main research question: “What does a support process for dealing with disruptive behaviour developed through a participatory process encompass?”
A total of 12 participants became the co-researchers in this study. The participants represented the various education stakeholders, which included members of the School- Based Support Team, the Disciplinary Committee, the School Management Team, parents, local social workers, and the District-Based Support Team from the Blydeville community in Lichtenburg, North West province, South Africa. They participated in a three-cycle process by engaging in scheduled action learning meetings; in which they collaboratively devised and implemented a research plan; and came together regularly to share and critically reflect on the emerging findings. Participants were thus actively involved in identifying problems and finding solutions. Qualitative data generation strategies applied in this study included focus group interviews, observations, drawings, interviews, and reflective journals. Participation in the action learning process made the stakeholders aware of the value of collaboration, as well as the critical reflection skills of each participating member. They aimed to develop a strategy to support learners and to become better at the implementation of policies and laws applicable to disruptive behaviour.
The results indicated that disruptive behavioural problems in schools do indeed exist. These problems are caused by factors relating to the learners, their parents, their teachers, and their community. The study made recommendations for teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders on how to improve the situation, and suggested aspects for further study.
At the beginning of the PALAR process, participants were all aware of the various forms of disruptive behaviour that occur in the classroom. Participants collectively identified forms of disruptive behaviour that occur in the classrooms, namely
absenteeism, coming late for classes, peer interaction, not writing, and many other aspects. Poor parental involvement and lack of commitment from teachers were identified as factors contributing to the disruptive behaviour of learners. Participants also found that teachers and parents do not have the proper skills to deal with disruptive behaviour.
In gaining an understanding of different forms of disruptive behaviour, participants suggested that schools must profile learners, obtain information on the most common disruptive behaviour occurring at the school level, and identify factors that could be the cause of the disruptive behaviour (environmental factors, limited resources, etc.). Profiling also involves communicating with parents/families to give feedback about learner behaviour, gaining more information about the situation at home, and building a trusting relationship between the teacher and the parent/guardian.
Furthermore, the school must review the school code of conduct with parents and learners, and implement it consistently. There is also a need to workshop teachers on effective methods of discipline, which demonstrate love and care towards the learners when disciplining learners.
Schools must also have positive collaboration with other stakeholders like the Department of Social Development (DSD), the Department of Safety, and others that could help support learners who display disruptive behaviour.
The PALAR process encountered some challenges. Initially, the participants were not keen to share their experiences and knowledge because they did not want to be judged. They gradually started showing more interest in the process and being more open to sharing as they understood that they were going to learn from each other. A further limitation of the study was that during this time the government implemented COVID-19 regulations (social distancing). The scheduled meetings with participants were difficult to arrange, so the number of meetings had to be reduced and participants were required to meet under strict social distancing conditions.Master
Exploring barriers to the promotion of children's relational wellbeing in South African school communities
Full text linkMA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015The importance of promoting the health and well-being of children in educational contexts are recognised in national and international policy developments. However, according to international and local research, many challenges regarding the promotion of relational well-being prevail, despite various efforts to improve relationships within school communities. The continuous media and research reports on the escalation of violence in schools suggest that there are certain vices that act as barriers to the promotion of relational well-being in school communities, restraining relationships between all those involved in the school community. However, challenges relating to relational well-being are often construed as a matter to be addressed by professionals either in the service of the government or in private practice, who are expected to work with individuals who experience relational problems. Limited attention is given to barriers that might arise within the everyday interactions between the members of the school communities. The need to understand what hinders the promotion of well-being in school communities as interactive spaces was therefore evident.
The aim of this study, therefore, was to explore perceived barriers to the promotion of relational well-being of children in South African school communities. In order to explore such barriers to the promotion of relational well-being, a group of postgraduate students, enrolled for a master’s or doctoral programme in Psychology and who work in various school contexts, was involved in a World Café event with a focus on relational well-being in school contexts. A combination of theoretical perspectives was applied as a basis for understanding the educational context in which the study was situated. In order to secure the capturing of the complex nature of relationships and relational well-being, a qualitative, interpretive descriptive research design was applied. The application of the World Café method created a context suitable to the interpretive and descriptive nature of the research and granted participants the opportunity to render rich and vigorous descriptions of how they perceived the relational well-being of children in South African school communities. Twelve postgraduate students were selected through purposive and convenience sampling to take part in the World Café event, hosted in collaboration with a senior research professor on campus. The data gathered during the World Café event was used as the main data source. In addition, three semi-structured Skype interviews were conducted, following the thematic analysis of the data gathered during the World Café event. In order to ensure that the data was trustworthy, crystallization was applied throughout the data collection process. Thematic analysis was conducted and three main themes with sub-themes were identified. Firstly, the participants identified a predominant focus on academics. They perceived this uncontested focus on academic results within the school community as a barrier to the enhancement of relational well-being in their places of work. The main concern was that this unequivocal focus on academic results held certain consequences for both teachers and learners. One of the consequences of this focus on academics is the stress that it creates for teachers. The participants indicated that the most attention in their school environments was paid to delivering good academic results and that the development of other needs of learners, such as emotional needs, were not deemed important. In addition, the participants indicated that they were most often appraised and rewarded according to the academic performance of their learners and to the extent to which they reached predetermined departmental goals within their schools. In addition to academic pressures to perform, teachers are often over-burdened with additional duties which leave them emotionally drained. As a result of their tapped emotional energy, teachers felt that they could not invest in connecting and caring for learners as they would like to, due to the overwhelming amount of other responsibilities. Furthermore, the participants indicated that, in addition to too little time to connect and care for learners and develop healthy relationships, they also experienced little collegial support.
The participants also indicated that, in addition to the stress caused by the predominant focus on academic achievement, the consequence of this stance created the following: limited capacity to develop learners’ social-emotional skills; situations where harm to learners’ self-concept was experienced; and a general problem-focused approach in addressing challenges experienced by learners.
Secondly, adults seemed to have a limited capacity to promote relational well-being. The participants indicated that, in the contexts and places where they worked, adults, such as teachers and parents, who were mainly responsible to guide and equip learners to create, develop, and maintain healthy and meaningful relationships, were perceived to lack the necessary skills themselves in order to engage in meaningful relationships with one another. With regard to parents’ capacities, the participants argued that the lack of social skills displayed by children in their classrooms might be ascribed to the home environment and the specific contextual challenges that parents and caregivers have to face, in addition to a general limited ability of parents to equip their children with the necessary social and emotional skills to be able to establish healthy and meaningful relationships. Concerning teachers’ capacities, the participants indicated that some teachers were not equipped with adequate knowledge to develop healthy relationships with children and therefore lacked skills to promote relational well-being of children in general. In addition to inadequate knowledge, the participants felt that teachers’ attitudes about relationships also played a role in the lack of promoting healthy relationships. Although inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes by teachers were perceived to compromise the development of healthy relationships, participants indicated that, even if teachers had the desire to develop healthy relationships, there were few or no opportunities created for them by their schools to focus on developing healthy relationships; there was also little opportunity to be models of healthy relational beings, due to a lack of time or system-related support, as well as personal contextual restraints. Thirdly, the perception of the participants was that unresolved conflict between role-players often created a barrier to the promotion of healthy relationships. The participants indicated that the conflict between role-players in the school communities were often excessive and remained unresolved, and that the conflict existed on all levels of inter-relatedness. The unresolved conflict was perceived as a serious barrier to the promotion of relational well-being within their school environments; this conflict was mainly experienced between teachers and learners, teachers and staff, as well as between parents and teachers.Master
The promotion of holistic wellbeing in a school of the Deaf in South Africa
Full text linkPhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2016The Deaf population in South Africa is approximately 3.5 % of the population. Deaf
children of school-going age can be accommodated in mainstream and full-service schools. However, the majority of these children are placed in the 47 schools for the Deaf across the country to ensure that they have opportunities to optimise their potential within a context that addresses their specific challenges. Research on the promotion of well-being has been
focused mainly on individuals in contexts such as schools for the Deaf. However, recent literature indicates that the promotion of well-being should be holistic and expanded from a focus on individual well-being to well-being on multiple levels. These levels include individual, relational, and collective well-being. This study focused on a broader understanding of constructing enabling spaces in which holistic well-being is promoted in Schools for the Deaf. This is facilitated by application of a transformative approach that corresponds with the Deaf community's perception of themselves as a community with a specific culture, and not as disabled people. In this study, three separate but interconnected phases of study were conducted in the context of a bounded system, the Schools for the Deaf selected as an instrumental case study. The aim of the first phase of was a phenomenological investigation to understand the learners' current lived experiences of well-being and to develop an understanding of the ways
in which they envision well-being in the future. A total of 45 learners across the phases were involved. Drawings, written statements, collages and essays were applied as methods to collect the data, followed by individual discussions with each learner. The data was analysed using visual and thematic analysis. In the second phase of the research, the focus was on obtaining an understanding of the experiences and perceptions of the staff in the contexts of a bounded system. In this phase of the study the teachers and other staff members employed at the school were asked to share their understanding of how well-being is currently promoted, and to share their ideas for the promotion of well-being in the future. A semi-structured focus group interview was conducted with 11 participants, comprising 7 teachers, 2 management staff and 2 teaching assistants. Participants created concept-maps in response to vignettes describing challenges faced by Deaf learners in South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted with a representative of the management staff, a teacher, and house-parent in response to the same research questions. The aim of the third phase of the study was to establish a collective understanding of the way in which holistic well-being can be promoted in a School for the Deaf. The process encompassed the identification of current and anticipated activities that can be linked to the themes that has been identified in the previous phases. Data was collected using the world café method involving 50 participants. In response to a presentation of the themes from the first two phases of the study, the participants identified ten focus areas which they associate with the promotion of well-being in the School for the Deaf. They also identified current and anticipated activities that would promote well-being in each of these focus areas. The cumulative results, obtained through thematic analysis indicated that the promotion of well-being is experienced through the provision of opportunities for learning and development, connectedness to other people in the school and the broader community and when they experience care and support on a continuous basis. Guidelines were developed based on these findings to facilitate the promotion of holistic well-being in the School for the Deaf from a transformative perspective, in line with the culturally appropriate understanding of the Deaf as part of an alternative lifestyle and culture. A way to understand Deafness that
facilitates the development of relationships and emotional security is to conceive of it as
based on a sense of belonging to the Deaf community. Recommendations include the
prioritising of the promotion of holistic well-being in policy as a way to address the challenges that the Deaf face in a more transformative manner. Further research on the promotion of holistic well-being in Schools for the Deaf should focus on a deeper understanding of how the
implementation of the guidelines can be sustained. The role of the hostel and hostel staff in the promotion of holistic well-being should also be explored.Doctora
Perceptions regarding the role of social support in the academic achievement of adolescents exposed to violence
Full text linkMA (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of adolescents, who have been exposed to violence, regarding the role of social support in their academic achievement. A qualitative, collective, within-site case study design was applied to obtain baseline data. The data was gathered through consecutive in-depth individual interviews with two male and six female adolescent learners (between 15 and 17 years of age) in a secondary school in Gauteng. Collages were furthermore used to assist participants with expressing their perceptions on the role that social support played in their academic achievement, despite being exposed to violence in their communities.
The study was mainly informed by Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory, but in order to better understand the adolescent as an individual who functions within the ecological systems theory, Erikson’s psycho-social development theory as well as the theory of social support were integrated to understand this complex period of development. Interview data were analysed thematically, whilst shared analysis were utilised to give meaning to the visual data presented in the collages.
The results indicate that encouragement to achieve, the provision of care and support to deal with problems in a proactive manner and enabling relationships with significant others facilitated academic achievement despite exposure to violence. Furthermore, positive self-talk, self-discipline and coping behaviours were identified as self-supportive behaviour that was perceived as enabling adolescents to achieve academically.
The study indicates that adolescents who achieve academically despite exposure to violence, perceive social support as playing a significant role in the facilitation of academic achievement in these contexts of adversity. It is therefore recommended that significant others in the lives of adolescents should be informed about the important role that their supportive interactions play in the adolescent’s ability to maintain academic achievement. Further research could explore the viability of social support interventions in assisting adolescent learners to achieve their full academic potential, despite exposure to violence.Master
Developing guidelines for professionals to facilitate the best interests of the child during the divorce mediation process
Full text linkPhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2016The purpose of the study was to contribute to the improvement of the mediation process and in the process facilitate a better dispensation for children in divorce and a more child-orientated practice. The main aim of this study was to develop substantive guidelines for professionals involved in the divorce mediation process to enable them to apply the best interests of the child principle during the divorce mediation process, as well as the development of parenting plans.
The study was conducted within an interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative, descriptive and interpretive design was applied in the study. Data was collected in two consecutive phases. In phase 1, a content analysis of 20 documents, including reports, parenting plans and court orders was conducted. In phase 2, individual interviews were conducted with 12 participants, including lawyers, psychologists and social workers with extensive experience in the field of divorce mediation. The findings from each of these phases were integrated to develop guidelines from a psychological perspective to assist professionals involved in the divorce mediation process in the South African context to adhere to the specifications and ethical standards for parenting plans and to ensure that the best interests of the children involved are served at all times.Doctora
Postgraduate students' reflections on the promotion of relational well-being in South African school communities
Full text linkMA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014Relationships, according to national and international research, play a crucial role in the promotion of holistic well-being in school communities. However, the central role of relationships in school communities is not fully appreciated in the South African context. Concurrently, a gap in research on the promotion of relational well-being in South African school communities exists. The importance of addressing this shortcoming is especially evident when viewing recent research literature and media reports on dysfunctional behaviour in school communities, such as violence, bullying, child abuse, inappropriate sexual behaviour, and alcohol and substance abuse. These dysfunctional behaviours indicate the extent to which relational well-being is currently compromised in South African school communities. This study intends to address the above mentioned gap in knowledge regarding the promotion of relational well-being in school communities. The aim was obtained by involving a group of postgraduate students, enrolled for a Master’s or Doctoral programme with a focus on relational well-being, and who work in school environments in various capacities and contexts. The research was informed by a combination of theoretical lenses that offer a holistic, multi-dimensional, strength-based approach to the understanding of relational well-being, and acknowledge the complexity of relationships. A qualitative phenomenological research design was applied using the World Café method, to facilitate a space within which these students could reflect on the promotion of relational well-being in school communities. A total of 29 participants, selected by means of purposive and convenience sampling, were involved in a World Café event, and twenty of these participants completed an open-ended questionnaire, developed with the aim of crystallising the data obtained from the World Café. Thematic analysis of the data was conducted and four main themes were identified: Firstly, the participants reflected on the complex, integrated nature of the process of promoting relational well-being, from an eco-systemic perspective. Based on this understanding, they viewed members of the school community as inseparably integrated and bi-directionally influencing one another, as also indicated by complex dynamic interactive systems theorists. They also mentioned that certain environmental influences could impair relational well-being. Secondly, they reflected on the promotion of relational well-being as a collaborative and inclusive process that involves all the members of the school community and requires all of them to take responsibility. The teachers’ and school managements’ role as leaders in facilitating the process was specifically highlighted, although the parents/caretakers were also seen as bearing a responsibility in this regard. Therefore, home-school collaboration was emphasised. Thirdly, they reflected on the challenges relating to the promotion of relational well-being in school communities. These challenges encompassed the need to equip and support teachers and parents to be able to promote relational well-being, addressing the imbalanced focus on academics and achievement in schools at the expense of relationships, and the need to promote relational well-being more proactively by addressing the way in which limited time and large class sizes jeopardise relational well-being. Lastly, perceived key elements of inter-relatedness for the promotion of relational well-being in school communities were highlighted. These key elements include respectful engagements, acceptance of one another, positive communication based on trust, a sense of belonging or connectedness, and care and support. In view of the findings of the study, recommendations are made to the Department of Education as well as to school management teams. Finally, recommendations regarding future research are offered.Master
The sustainable coordination of an integrated multi-level process to facilitate holistic wellbeing in South African school communities
Full text linkDPhil (Education Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusIn this study, the sustainable coordination of an integrated multi-level holistic well-being process within school communities was investigated. More specifically, the primary research question directing this study was: “What key aspects in the development of an integrated multi-level process to facilitate the promotion of holistic well-being in six South African school communities, inform our understanding of the sustainable coordination of such a process"? The theoretical perspectives that informed this study included relational coordination theory, complex interactive process of relating theory, social network theory, and a three-fold theory of social change. Epistemologically, the study included a combination of the social constructionist and transformative paradigms. A qualitative methodological approach was applied, implementing a multiple-case study research design. The study encompassed two phases. In the first phase, the researcher was involved in the participatory action learning action research process for a period of 15 months and assisted with gathering data. In the second phase, the researcher conducted additional research to crystallise the findings obtained in the first phase of the study. From thematic analysis, the following four themes, each with their related sub-themes, emerged: develop a core team to take responsibility for the process, develop a vision for the promotion of holistic well-being, facilitate a shared commitment to the promotion of holistic well-being, and pro-actively steer the integrated multi-level process. Viewed through the lens of sustainable coordination and integrating the voices of the international colleagues who participated in this study as well as integrating the theories that informed this study, the discussion of findings has contributed toward the identification of key aspects. These aspects are to ensure sustainable coordination of an integrated multi-level process to facilitate the promotion of holistic well-being in school communities. The aspects are: (1) to ensure ownership and responsibility of the process across all levels of interrelatedness through establishing a multi-level core team that includes a balance between top-down and bottom-up approaches; (2) to develop a clear sense of direction to promote shared responsibility which co-constructs a shared vision that includes the whole school community; (3) to develop deep connections between people to ensure their shared commitment to the process; (4) to facilitate an integrative approach for the promotion of holistic well-being to become core school business, and (5) to recognise the complex interactive nature of the process as an on-going cyclical process based on continuous engagement, action and reflection. Based on the findings of the study, the following contributions have been made: This study has contributed toward the increasing knowledge base of sustainable coordination relating to the promotion of holistic well-being within school communities. More specifically, the study has contributed toward defining sustainable coordination in the context of promoting well-being in school communities. The study has further contributed toward the identification of the key aspects, as indicated above, which has provided greater insight into the sustainable coordination of the integrated multi-level holistic well-being process.Doctora
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