Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Educational Psychology)
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Item Psychosocial factors that influence peer interaction among francophone adolescent learners in the selected high schools in the Western Cape, South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Robert, Mukuna Kananga; Moletsane, MokgadiImmigrant adolescent learners are at risk for loneliness, isolation, rejection, and interpersonal distress from being perceived as outsiders or not belonging to the groups. This may be explained by host country or setting discriminating against them and also the immigrant adolescents' initial tentative engagement of host setting others. This study aimed to determine the relationship between psychosocial factors (psychological factors: emotional regulation, aggressiveness, sympathy, empathy; social support; and cultural differences), and peer interactions through demographic details (gender, age, and grade level) among francophone adolescent learners in the selected high schools in the Western Cape. It further purposed to determine the positive and negative factors that can affect their peer interactions at high schools. This study established the feasibility of recruitment procedures and developed a new model instrument of psychometric properties to measure the psychosocial factors scale and peer interaction scale for francophone adolescent learners in the selected high schools in the Western Cape Province.Item Exploring passion killing and its implications on the academic wellbeing of university students in Botswana and Namibia(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Eze, Ifeoma Rose-Anna; Moletsane-Kekae, MokgadiThis study explored the consequences of passion killing (PK) on the academic wellbeing of undergraduates in Botswana and Namibia. The study is motivated by the alarming rate of intimate partner femicide popularly referred to as passion killings in both countries; where dozens of young women are being killed by their jilted and angry boyfriends (who most times commit suicide after the murder). The victims and perpetrators are the future generation youths; and noticeably, this monstrous crime had permeated awfully into the universities in some African countries. However, to date, there is paucity of information on the influence of such occurrence on the academic wellbeing of undergraduates. The study employed qualitative research approach, with intrinsic case study design. It was grounded in interpretative paradigm. The participants were purposefully selected given the nature of the study as well as the site; the study used snowball purposive sampling. The samples were of six participants and the data was obtained through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data were coded and thematic analysis was used to analyse the content. Member checking procedures were also employed to assess the credibility and trustworthiness of the study as well as the suitability of the subjects in order to ensure that the results of the study were dependable and could be confirmed. The study adhered to the professional research ethical considerations like voluntary participation, informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity and avoidance of harm. The study found that incidence of PK is still burgeoning in the locations of study and very rampant among the young people; the victims are largely women. It is established from the data collected during in depth interviews with the students that passion killing has negative influence on the academic wellbeing of students in tertiary institutions in Botswana and Namibia. It causes social shock which leaves students in disconnected and disenchanted relationships; causes psychological trauma leading to feelings of insecurity and instability which affects their learning and concentration.Item Professional and personal development of school management teams in three rural primary schools(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Genniker, Veronique; Moolla, Nadeen; Lazarus, SandyThe essential role that school management teams (SMTs) play in managing change has been debated for many years both nationally and internationally. Central to these debates has been the need to understand how to best empower SMTs through a process of continuous professional development. This research aimed to explore SMT members’ experiences of professional and personal development in three rural primary schools in the broad context of educational change in South Africa and specifically in the context of policy implementation. This aim was explored by asking the following research questions: 1. How did educational change in South Africa influence leadership and management in schools? 2. What professional development was experienced by the SMTs as they tried to embrace new roles and responsibilities within a new policy context? 3. What personal development was experienced by the SMTs as they tried to embrace new roles and responsibilities within a new policy context? 4. What are SMT members’ suggestions for enhancement of personal and professional development and support of SMTs in schools in South Africa? The literature review which grounded this study focused on three areas, namely, educational change, leadership and management in schools, and professional and personal development. An integrated theoretical framework was employed and provided the lens through which the data was collected and analysed. Key concepts within the framework included mental maps, reflexivity and authoring which were synthesised within change theory. The change theory employed emphasised the value of engaging with first, second and third orders of change to effect the facilitation of meaningful change on both a personal and professional level. SMTs from three rural primary schools in three different provinces, comprising of six educators each, participated in the study. The researcher conducted three focus groups and 18 individual interviews. The social constructivist -interpretive paradigm that framed this research study is a worldview that understands reality as being constructed when people engage with each other. Congruent with the social constructivist -interpretive paradigm is a qualitative research design, which was employed in this study to collect rich, comprehensive, in-depth data that explored the professional and personal development experiences of SMTs to illuminate the complexity of the issue being studied. The study encompassed three phases of data collection. Firstly, a detailed document analysis was conducted where policy documents, research reports and job descriptions were studied and analysed. Secondly, 18 SMT members were interviewed in three focus groups. Thirdly, the 18 SMT members were individually interviewed. Phases two and three of the data collection process employed semi-structured interviews to generate data. The data analysis employed a qualitative, thematic approach to analyse and interpret the data that emerged. A thematic approach was used to illuminate the professional and personal development experiences and challenges facing the SMTs. The thematic approach generated distinct categories that were used as descriptors to report on the findings of the research. The findings highlight the need for integrated professional and personal development, role clarification, school-based support, policy mediation and outlines implications for the development of SMTs. This research makes a contribution towards educational change in South African schools by providing insights and proposing a model of professional and personal development for SMTs. It illuminates the vital importance of first acknowledging developmental needs and then facilitating personal and professional development to effect practical implementation of change at schools as required by policy. The researcher demonstrates how three orders of change theory with related personal development concepts can be integrated into a single theory to understand and facilitate change at the level of the individual, group and organisation.Item Group polarization in decision making: a study of selected secondary school disciplinary panels in Rongo District of Kenya(University of Western Cape, 2012) Aloka, Peter Jairo O.; Bojuwoye, OlaniyiBehaviour problems have been on the rise in Kenyan schools for some time now. Various maladaptive behaviours found among school children include bullying, vandalism, stealing, alcohol and drug abuse, truancy, not completing homework assignments and other forms of problem behaviours. These problem behaviours impact negatively on the teaching and learning enterprises of schools as well as on the safety and security of the school environment. As consequence, schools have to develop student behaviour management practices aimed at addressing student problem behaviours. Corporal punishment was a major means by which schools dealt with students’ problem behaviours. However, because of the human rights abuses associated with corporal punishment, the Kenyan Ministry of Education had to abolish corporal punishment in 2001 and instructed schools to evolve more effective student behaviour management practices with strong emphasis on positive student behaviour development. Schools’ student behaviour management practices including policies on student behaviour expectations, school rules and regulations as well as counselling services are all to be coordinated by each School Disciplinary Panel. A School Disciplinary Panel is to be composed of small group of teachers as a way of emphasizing the latter’s roles in student behaviour development and not just student academic or educational development. The central concern of this study was to investigate the Kenyan schools’ behaviour management practices as being implemented by School Disciplinary Panels especially in the latter’s responses to students’ problem behaviours. The study investigated processes of decision making by Kenyan secondary school disciplinary panels for the management of student behaviours and the contribution of this to student behaviour development. Mixed methods research design was adopted for the study. The adoption of both quantitative and qualitative approaches was to ensure the collection of comprehensive information for better understanding of the behaviour management practices of Kenyan schools. The population for the study comprised all Kenyan schools with behaviour management practices and School Disciplinary Panels. Rongo District, one of the largest education districts in Kenya was chosen for the study. Ten of the schools in this district were actually involved in the study. The selection of the schools took into consideration the three different types of schools in Kenya (Girls’ Only, Boys’ Only and Co-educational schools) as well as other variables of particular interest to the study. Seventy-eight (78) disciplinary panel members from the ten selected schools were the participants of the study. Data collection was by use of questionnaire method (the Modified Choice Dilemma Questionnaire, MCDQ) and interview protocol. The findings of the study revealed the existence of the phenomenon of group polarization in decision making processes of disciplinary hearings conducted by the School Disciplinary Panels. Study findings also revealed that the nature of information shared during disciplinary hearings, group members’ motivation for approval of others and their concern for their status in the group as well as the personality characteristics of the members of the disciplinary panels (including gender, age, teaching experiences and school affiliation) were the major influences responsible for the existence of group polarization in the disciplinary processes of the Kenyan secondary school disciplinary panels. Since group polarization is about consensus decisions with characteristics of being collective decisions as well as greater support and acceptance for the decisions the conclusion of the study is that good quality decisions of Kenyan secondary school disciplinary panels have great potentials for effective management of student behaviours and for positive behavioural development of students as an important objective of education and or the schools.Item HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of FET College students: implications for sexual health promotion(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Moodley, Colleen Gail; Phillips, Joliana; NULL; Faculty of EducationThe quantitative findings indicated high levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-concept and self-efficacy. Risky sexual behaviour was measured in terms of condom use and the number of sexual partners in the 12 months prior to the study with males reporting significantly more risky sexual behaviour. More males (70% vs. 43 % females) reported no condom use when engaging in sex. More males (62 % vs. 28 % females) reported having had two or more sexual partners in the 12 months prior to the study. Results also suggested that an increase in knowledge of HIV/AIDS would predict an increase in the use of condoms particularly for males. Lower self-efficacy seemed to predict an increase in the number of sexual partners for males. The focus group discussions highlighted students' views of HIV/AIDS knowledge in relation to their sexual practices, attitudes and sexual decision-making. Influences such as personal factors (self-concept and self-efficacy), social factors (e.g. peer influences, gender, and status) and environmental factors (e.g. media) were investigated. Participants also commented on the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS campaigns and the adequacy in provision of health services at college and community level. From the findings, guidelines were developed which may be used to reflect on current intervention programmes and may be considered when developing future interventions programmes, policies, or campaigns in promoting safer sexual practices amongst youth as a means of addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.