Magister Artium - MA (Psychology)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/12152

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Browsing by Author "Adonis, Tracey-Ann"

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    Exploring Postgraduate psychology students’ perceptions and experiences of empathy in an Online Learning Environment, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) Viljoen, Amy-Jean; Adonis, Tracey-Ann
    Empathy is conceptualised as the human ability to feel, and also to navigate, various social situations successfully. Empathy, as a construct, is often defined as having both affective and cognitive aspects, however, researchers and scholars alike, have yet to agree upon a single approach, as to how empathy develops. Thus far, the literature has discussed empathy as a social skill that can be learned over time. However, there is limited research regarding the impact that the physical environment has, on empathy development across cultures and contexts. Hence, this study aims to address the current debates within the literature regarding the construct of empathy, and how it develops, within a multicultural context. The multicultural context in which this study was conducted is of utmost importance, as this particular environment, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, did not allow for social connection and interaction. Therefore, how empathy develops under these limited social conditions remained the focus of this study.
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    Investigating the relationships between perceived family support, self-efficacy, and academic performance among undergraduate students at a South African university
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Fraser, Khelsey; Adonis, Tracey-Ann
    In South Africa (SA), the university dropout rates are alarmingly high which indicates that many students in South African universities struggle to complete their degrees. Identifying the underlying factors that causes students to dropout of university is important to lowering these dropout rates. This study therefore aimed to investigate the relationships between perceived family support, self-efficacy, and academic performance among undergraduate students at a South African university. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) was used as the theoretical framework. A quantitative research approach was used. The phase of the broader doctoral study in which the current study was embedded employed a cross-sectional correlational design and online questionnaires were administered to undergraduate university students who were selected by simple random sampling. Secondary data was therefore used in this study. For the purpose of this study, convenience sampling was used. The sample included 274 young adults between the ages 18-35 years with the following inclusion criteria i.e. that the participants were: 1) undergraduate Community and Health Sciences (CHS) Faculty students or those enrolled in degree programmes at other faculties who took psychology as a service-level module, 2) registered for the academic year during which data were collected, and 3) the participants were between the ages of 18-35.
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    The psychometric properties of instruments that measure teacher well-being in the Sub-Saharan African context - a scoping review
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Mabena, Unathi; Adonis, Tracey-Ann
    Teachers are a significant resource within the education system and their well-being is essential in the construction of effectively functioning educational contexts. Ensuring that a concept as complex as teacher well-being is accurately measured using relevant instruments is pertinent in illustrating a comprehensive picture of teacher well-being, particularly in a multicultural context such as South Africa’s; as well as expanding research centred around the field. Therefore, identifying instruments that aptly measure teacher well-being is important. This scoping review explored pertinent literature that utilises instruments used to measure teacher well-being, including looking at their purpose, psychometric properties of these measures and how these instruments have been used to measure teacher well-being in the Sub-Saharan African context. This scoping review expanded its search to the Sub- Saharan context due to the dearth in studies using instruments that measure teacher well-being in the Sub-Saharan context. Utilising the Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping reviews, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews checklist (PRISMA-ScR) as guidelines, the review explored which measures are utilised to measure teacher well-being in this context. The research adopted the PCC framework i.e. Population (teachers); Concept (psychometric properties of the instruments measuring teacher well-being) and Context: (Sub Saharan Africa). 26 studies were included in the final sample after searching 6 databases, with narrative synthesis utilised to synthesise the data for the final findings. The findings obtained from the study identified the nature of assessments utilised in this context.