Dissertations / Theses: 'Disadvantaged backgrounds'

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McKay, Euan S. "The role of study support for pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.501788.

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For a number of years it has been recognised that there is an association between social disadvantage and academic achievement, with young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds achieving less than their peers. A range of initiatives and strategies has been adopted to address this. The belief that it would raise the academic achievement of young people was an important catalyst in the development of study support. This research explores the extent to which participation in study support benefits pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and whether it could be adopted as a strategy for tackling the effects of disadvantage. The study used the dataset gathered for the National Evaluation of Study Support - a three-year longitudinal evaluation of the impact of study support on the attainment, attitudes and school attendance of 8,390 secondary school pupils. The study extended the National Evaluation by focusing on pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, with entitlement to free school meals being used as the indicator of social disadvantage. In relation to these pupils it: 1. explored additional outcomes (the National Evaluation was limited to attainment and one of the five factors from the attitude questionnaire) 3. investigated school effects (the National Evalution explored school effects for the entire sample, but not for FSM pupils specifically).

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Chen, Yong Jie. "Student Poverty in China : How to Assist Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds." Thesis, University of York, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.503316.

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Rahim, Mohamed Zubair. "Investigating the relationship between fortitude and academic achievement in students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2007. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_2093_1264364653.

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This research study employs a strengths perspective. This means that, instead of the traditional deficits or pathology-based approach of focusing on weaknesses, the focus is on positive outcomes. Fortitude, more specifically, is the strength gained from appraising oneself, one&rsquo
s family, and one&rsquo
s social support, in a positive manner. This strength equips people to cope successfully in stressful situations. Fortitude as a construct in the strengths perspective promises to give insight into student success because it takes more than one level of analysis into account. The current research study investigates whether there is a link between fortitude and academic achievement in first year students at the University of the Western Cape.

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Mativenga, Tapiwanashe Emmanuel. "Planes of progression: an exploration of architecture's role in supporting the positive development of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28067.

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Youth from disadvantaged backgrounds develop at a slower rate than youth from well-to-do neighborhoods. They do not reach the same levels of development and are often kept within the unforgiving grip of poverty. The problem is compounded by the rising rate of urbanisation and informal settlements with slum conditions. Youth in these areas bear the consequences of such backgrounds; their development is hindered due to the absence of resources and spaces of youth development. In cases where those spaces are present, the quality of design, construction and maintenance makes them unappealing and less effective. A key concern is the lack of awareness and ease of access to these spaces by youth at risk in the area. This design dissertation explores how architecture and good design can be utilised to improve presence, access and utilisation of youth development spaces at three different scales, the urban, the street and the building edge. Using the Gugulethu Township in Cape Town, the design dissertation examines and develops a network of youth development distributed over five sites. This increases institutional presence and youth access. These sites use carefully articulated planes, strategically arranged to achieve a positive and appealing presence in the area. The planes allow permeability of youth off the street into the development space, separation of different levels of development and enable the buildings to utilise a cost effective approach to achieving thermal comfort.

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White, Danielle. "How are the career related decisions of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds shaped during their transition towards the end of compulsory schooling?" Thesis, University of Manchester, 2015. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/how-are-the-career-related-decisions-of-young-people-from-disadvantaged-backgrounds-shaped-during-their-transition-towards-the-end-of-compulsory-schooling(853e0647-9c3a-4f2a-aa3a-0ca77b1c8433).html.

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This thesis explores the two year transition period leading towards the end of compulsory schooling. It asks how young people who live in disadvantaged locations make career related choices, and is concerned with why such people often do not choose in ways that are advantageous to them. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of how young people's career related decision-making is shaped, this study uses an approach that is both theoretically engaged and young person focused. Thirteen young people took part in the research over two years; interviews utilised visual research and analysis methods to engage with the experiences of these young people towards the end of their time studying at a secondary school in the North West of England. Data is analysed using a conceptual framework that incorporates selected 'thinking tools' from Bourdieu (1977) to explore the structural influences shaping career ideas that are typical for this group (i.e. 'field', 'habitus', 'social capital' and 'cultural capital'). The concept of reflexivity is also used to consider the presence of and potential for these young people to exercise agency within the structurally embedded context in which they are situated. The study demonstrates the ways in which the career ideas of these young people are heavily shaped by the environment they inhabit and, therefore, typically reproduce the existing, limited range of occupations already prevalent within the community. The social networks participants engage with when contemplating their ideas are critical in this process of reproduction since they mediate transference of cultural capital to the habitus. Such networks tend to be insular and made up of close family and friends. However, there is also evidence that reflexivity within this context is possible, and this can be vital in promoting social mobility - but this requires the creation of spaces where young people can reflect and discuss their experiences and options with actors who are genuinely seen as trustworthy (I argue that this occurred for some participants through this research process). Finally, the study concludes that although reflexivity is atypical for students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, in certain circumstances it shows the potential to be transformative.

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Gunston, Geney. "Understanding the experiences of students who enter the MBChB programme from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and either succeed or fail in passing the first semester." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10557.

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-77).
This qualitative study was conducted during 2005 in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the New Literacy Studies and, in particular, Gee's notion of Discourse acquisition, I sought to better understand the issues that impacted on success for students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who entered the MBChB programme.

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Bernard, Julie. "A socio-cultural understanding of application to, and participation in, higher education for school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds in an inner city area." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2013. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14598/.

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There is considerable knowledge about why school-leavers from socio- economically disadvantaged backgrounds do not participate in higher education, however, there is less knowledge about why and how the minority of such young adults do apply and participate in higher education. From a policy and practice perspective, to increase participation in higher education, this knowledge is important. In Ireland, research from an interpretative socio-cultural perspective is particularly valuable, given the traditional dominance of research and policy based on the concepts of socio-economic group and barriers to participation, and a limited tradition of interpretative research. This study, using a combined life history and case-study methodology, provides a socio-cultural understanding of the broad range of enabling factors supporting application to and participation in higher education through in-depth interviews with a group of twenty young adults from similar socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds in an inner city area, interviews with people they identified as influential in their education decisions and interviews with education and community personnel from the area. The study shows that there were common elements in all of the young peoples' lives which enabled them to avail of increased education opportunities in the area and be in a position to consider applying to higher education. There was also evidence of diversity within socio-economic disadvantage in the form of three groups with differing orientations towards higher education, experiences of education, sense of identity and desires for their lives. Networks with different types of social capital and providing different levels of cultural capital specific to accessing higher education were key to understanding the differences between the three groups and understanding who did and did not participate in higher education. The study draws on and extends Bourdieu's work on the relationship between field, capital and habitus and Woolcock's work on social capital to provide an understanding of the factors affecting application to and participation in higher education for young adults from SED backgrounds.

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Chatora, Arther Tichaona. "Social relationships and identity online and offline: a study of the interplay between offline social relationships and facebook usage by Rhodes University students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002874.

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Based on in-depth focus group and individual interviews, this thesis examines how Rhodes University students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds experience campus social life and how they subsequently use Facebook to perform, represent and negotiate their social identities. The study discusses utopian and dystopian positions and interrogates these theoretical perspectives in relation to the students‟ Facebook usage. The popularity and uptake of Facebook by students from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as those here at Rhodes University, is a growing phenomenon, provoking questions about the relationship between social experiences, social identity and social networks. Rhodes University‟s social space has been identified by previous studies as modern, liberal, “elite” and divided along race and class lines. The ways in which students experience this campus social space relates to their subject positions and identities. The study employs different perspectives of identity construction to interrogate the students‟ subject experiences in home and school contexts before coming to Rhodes University. The students‟ subjective positions are primarily embedded in tradition and their subject positions are sometimes in tension or come in conflict with the modern and liberal elements permitted by the Rhodes University context. The students also experience and adopt modern and liberal elements in their lifestyles which are permitted within the Rhodes University social space. The thesis found that Facebook offers a platform which facilitates a social connectivity that influences how students perform their identities in relation to their offline social identities and lived social experiences. This study concludes that the mediated symbolic materials for the construction and negotiation of identity provided by Facebook are sometimes in tension with the demands of traditional subjectivities experienced by these students at Rhodes University. Facebook allows the students to reinforce and affirm the validity of their traditional identities in this modern and liberal space. However, it also emerged that Facebook facilitates and allows students who experience and incorporate the modern and liberal elements permitted at Rhodes University to represent and negotiate their subjective positions online. The findings of the study indicate that participants primarily communicate with their friends, families, relatives and acquaintances - people they know personally offline, in line with the theoretical position which argues that online relationships are primarily shaped by offline relationships.

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Onwuameze, Nkechi Catherine. "Educational opportunity and inequality in Nigeria: assessing social background, gender and regional effects." Diss., University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2598.

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This study investigated educational stratification in Nigeria to determine how socioeconomic status, gender, and regional differences influence achievement in education using the nationally representative 2010 Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS). These cross-sectional data are among the first quality household survey data available for assessing aspects of education in Nigeria. In the last four decades, Nigeria has experienced dramatic expansion of its educational system. Following the introduction of educational policies and programs, growth in enrolment at the primary and secondary levels has largely been sustained. For instance, enrolment of pupils in primary education increased from 3,515,827 in 1970 to 14,383,487 in 1985 and to 20,080,986 in 2010. However, this impressive gain was followed by dwindling quality in the educational system, which has reported differing educational outcomes for different groups. Prior research in Nigeria has not examined how socioeconomic status influences achievement in education using large scale representative data. In this study, I primarily focused on assessing socioeconomic status to determine how it predicts achievement in reading and numeracy in Nigerian school children, ages 5 to 16 years. Nigeria is also known to have wide gender and regional gaps in education. Thus, I assessed gender and region variables to determine how much they contribute to the variance in educational achievement. I analyzed NEDS 2010 data and reported the findings of the descriptive and multivariate regression statistics. Descriptive statistics show the frequencies and distribution of the variables in the study. The multivariate regression analyses were employed to determine the relationship of socioeconomic status, gender, and region (the main predictor variables) with achievement in reading and numeracy (outcome variables). Given the use of survey data, both the descriptive and regression statistics were based on weighted statistics. This study found a significant wealth gap in reading and numeracy achievements among Nigerian children. I also found that family wealth, parental education, and region explain differences in academic achievement. Family wealth was found to be the most important variable influencing achievement in reading and numeracy, followed by mother's education and then region. Overall, the findings in this study suggest no significant differences in reading and numeracy achievement for boys and girls. Although gender was not found to be consistently associated with academic achievement in this study, it should not be assumed to mean that gender equality in education exists in Nigeria. It is widely reported elsewhere that gender-biased educational opportunity plays a major role in influencing educational attainment and achievement. More research, preferably using a longitudinal study design, is needed to identify the trends and patterns of gender roles in Nigerian educational attainment and achievement. The findings in this study provide the foundation for making further investigations on the association of social, economic, and cultural factors with academic achievement and to assess inequality in education in Nigeria.

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Mokoena, Emily Matshedisa. "An investigation into the relationship between gender, socioeconomic status, exposure to violence and resilience in a sample of students at the University of the Western Cape." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2010. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_9174_1305097018.

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This study, located within the systems theory framework, recognises that resilience is multidimensional and multi determined and can be understood as the product of connections with, and between multiple systemic levels over time, and further understands that risks factors are seen as influences that occur at the individual, family, community and societal level. The quantitative study used a secondary analysis survey of data and utilised a sample of 281 students from UWC - 90 male and 190 female. In drawing from the literature the study examined the relationship between gender, Socioeconomic status (SES) and exposure to violence and resilience. Results of the factorial MANOVA indicate a statistically significant association between low SES and exposure to violence (p <
0.05 = 0.036). There were no statistically significant results for the associations between gender and exposure to violence and resilience, as well as the association between SES and resilience. These results were contrary to what was predicted. The results of the present study suggest that in the South African context, both males and females have managed to find ways of coping when faced with adversity as well as being able to draw from their protective influences. It is also possible that the selected variables (gender and SES) may only be significant in relation to other variables. The limitations of the study were also discussed, and recommendations for future research were put forward.

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Fish, Tebogo. "Realizing potential: retrospective narratives of successful black female university students from disadvantaged backgrounds." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/21820.

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Thesis (M.A (Psychology))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, 2016
Transformation initiatives in South African higher education institutions are informed by literature which has thus far explicated the high failure and attrition rates amongst Black university students with discourses asserting that the major contributing factors are disadvantage and language of origin. The current study endeavoured to investigate the learning histories of a group of high achieving Black female university students from socio- economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in order to inform current transformation initiatives at South African higher education institutions. Seven female students who had previously participated in an academic development programme in the faculty of humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand, the Reaching for Excellent Achievement Programme (REAP), volunteered to participate in this study. Despite being second language students and coming from less advantaged backgrounds, these students achieved excellent academic marks and acceptance into various post- graduate programmes. Semi- structured interviews with an episodic narrative style were conducted. The method of data analysis found to be most appropriate for this study was thematic content analysis. The results revealed the importance of the influence of high school teachers on students’ perceptions of school and school subjects; the pace of adjusting to university; the significance of effective lecturing styles; the formation of an academic identity; acquiring academic literacy; and the importance of having social support (especially from university lecturers) for the successful academic performance of the participants in this study. This study suggests that perhaps there is more than individual effort that is required for academic success at university level. Further, it suggests that higher education institutions need to improve the lecturing styles of their lecturers, should ensure that all students are able to successfully adjust to the university environment early in their first year of study, should offer compulsory academic literacy courses to all first year students, and should consider providing all students with mentors who are university personnel.
MT2017

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12

Keun, Rothea. "The perceptions of parents from disadvantaged backgrounds of their role in preparing their children for school." Diss., 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13718.

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A child's early years are vital for development. The first few years of life is a period of rapid physical, mental, emotional, social and moral growth and development. This is a time when young children acquire concepts, skills and attitudes that lay the foundation for lifelong learning. During this time, parents are the primary influence on a child’s development and learning. The more parents are involved with their children, the more positive learning and general life outcomes occur. Different factors have been linked to children’s readiness to learn as they enter school. These include family characteristics such as the income level of the child’s household, parent education, and family structure. Other experiences in the home and community also linked to children’s readiness to learn include the quality of their relationships with parents, educational activities at home, and opportunities to participate in recreational or educational activities. Research has shown that poverty in early childhood can prove to be a handicap for life. Studies have revealed that many children under the age of five, living in poverty, annually fail to reach their full cognitive and social potential and do not have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to engage effectively in formal schooling once entering Grade 1. In the light of this, parents are in a key position to establish a suitable environment and to provide experiences during the early childhood years, whereby their young children can grow and develop to reach their fullest potential. This study is aimed to determine the way parents from disadvantaged backgrounds perceive their role, in their children’s early development and preparation for school. A selected group of parents of preschool children from disadvantaged communities in an area northeast of Tshwane participated in focus group discussions. Through the information obtained from the study, crucial limitations and needs regarding parenting and school preparation were identified. Based on these findings, the necessity for an effective and helpful parental guidance and intervention programme for these disadvantaged communities were recognized. If parents become more knowledgeable about early childhood development and school readiness, by expanding and improving their parenting skills, they might largely improve the development and learning abilities of their preschool children. It is therefore recommended that this study forms the foundation in the development of an intervention programme, which addresses the needs of these parents and provides support to equip them in their roles, in preparing their preschool children for school.
Early Childhood Education and Development
M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

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Mhlane, Hintsa Zwelinzima. "South African elementary school learners' perceptions of computers as a technology : with particular reference to learners from economically disadvantaged and historically disenfranchised backgrounds." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/1934.

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Dissertation submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Master of Technology Degree: Education, Durban Institute of Technology, 2003.
The purpose of this research study was to establish firstly, whether elementary school learners from previously disadvantaged communities do have negative perceptions towards computer technology and if these perceptions exist, to what they may be attributed. Secondly, there is a need to provide research-based approaches to the use of computers in education, particularly in the delivery and support of the curriculum. The international education community considers computer technology as a panacea for solving most of the epistemological and operational problems currently beleaguering the education enterprise. The development of learner perception should not be viewed in isolation but rather in the context of the two environments that the elementary school learner is exposed to; home and classroom. These environments are determined, largely, by socio-economic conditions, societal values, educational ideology and classroom praxis. The above determinants are fundamental in shaping the elementary school learner's perception of the learning process in general and the use of computer technology in the learning process in particular. Since the early 1970s, a myriad of teaching and learning programmes known as computerassisted instruction (CAl) and computer-assisted education (CAE) have been developed. Furthermore, computer technology has been used extensively as a pedagogical tool in a number of numeracy and literacy programmes. As a result of these developments it has become necessary to initiate serious research into Technology Education, in general, and the use of computers in education, in particular.
M

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14

Keun, Rothea. "The perceptions of parents from disadvantages backgrounds of their role in preparing their children for school." Diss., 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13718.

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A child's early years are vital for development. The first few years of life is a period of rapid physical, mental, emotional, social and moral growth and development. This is a time when young children acquire concepts, skills and attitudes that lay the foundation for lifelong learning. During this time, parents are the primary influence on a child’s development and learning. The more parents are involved with their children, the more positive learning and general life outcomes occur. Different factors have been linked to children’s readiness to learn as they enter school. These include family characteristics such as the income level of the child’s household, parent education, and family structure. Other experiences in the home and community also linked to children’s readiness to learn include the quality of their relationships with parents, educational activities at home, and opportunities to participate in recreational or educational activities. Research has shown that poverty in early childhood can prove to be a handicap for life. Studies have revealed that many children under the age of five, living in poverty, annually fail to reach their full cognitive and social potential and do not have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to engage effectively in formal schooling once entering Grade 1. In the light of this, parents are in a key position to establish a suitable environment and to provide experiences during the early childhood years, whereby their young children can grow and develop to reach their fullest potential. This study is aimed to determine the way parents from disadvantaged backgrounds perceive their role, in their children’s early development and preparation for school. A selected group of parents of preschool children from disadvantaged communities in an area northeast of Tshwane participated in focus group discussions. Through the information obtained from the study, crucial limitations and needs regarding parenting and school preparation were identified. Based on these findings, the necessity for an effective and helpful parental guidance and intervention programme for these disadvantaged communities were recognized. If parents become more knowledgeable about early childhood development and school readiness, by expanding and improving their parenting skills, they might largely improve the development and learning abilities of their preschool children. It is therefore recommended that this study forms the foundation in the development of an intervention programme, which addresses the needs of these parents and provides support to equip them in their roles, in preparing their preschool children for school.
Early Childhood Education and Development

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15

Kadlecová, Michaela. "Zajištění dostupnosti základní zdravotní péče pro děti a mladistvé ze sociálně znevýhodněného prostředí." Master's thesis, 2015. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-350190.

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(in English): The thesis deals with the current state of the functioning of the health care system for children and youth in the Czech Republic with regard to the possible consequences of failure to provide basic health care resulting from difficult life situations, and therefore closely related to the social sphere. The main objective is to explore whether the current system is functional enough that there are no socially disadvantaged individuals "falling through a net". The theoretical part deals with the lives of socially disadvantaged individuals, with a focus on the family and its specifics. Furthermore the work deals with pediatric and dental preventive and curative health care. In addition to discussing basic parameters of the care, there are analyzed the risks for the eventual malpractice. Solution of the research uses a qualitative method using interviews with instructions. Not only was the research sample composed of individuals with experience with social disadvantage - particularly parents with children from shelter homes where one can assume such experience, but also practicing doctors who come into the very first contact with children the most often - pediatricians and dentists so that the view on the situation is as complex as possible.

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Fichtnerová, Miroslava. "Hodnoty dětí a mládeže ze sociokulturně znevýhodňujícího prostředí (výzkumná sonda na ZŠ Chanov)." Master's thesis, 2015. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-350167.

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This diploma thesis deals with the values of children and youth in the context of a sociocultural disadvantaged backgrounds. The work has theoretical and empirical character. The theoretical part explains the basic terminology and assumptions relating to values and value orientation, moral development of children, social exclusion. The text provides a detailed description of the Roma population including its history and current status, possible causes of problems and theoretical solutions psychosocial differences. Practical work provides data on socially excluded Roma locality Chanov and especially local elementary school. The research study provides an interpretation which life values Roma children perceive as important and what attitude to their value orientation have teachers of elementary school Chanov. The results of interviews and questionnaires are compared with the conclusions of the studies mentioned in the theoretical part.

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"Becoming a successful university student : a case study of selected undergraduate students from historically disadvantaged background." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14047.

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M.Ed. (Curriculum Policy Evaluation)
The aim of this study is to investigate how successful undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds have managed their studies at the University of Johannesburg. It addresses the following main research question: How do successful undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds negotiate their performance at university? ’’Successful’’ denotes positive achievements in their development and academic performance. Snowball sampling was used: nine students were chosen in the Faculty of Education from the 2007-2012 student intake to participate in individual interview sessions. This study only considered students who had performed extremely well, and excluded any student who had failed any of their years. The data was collected through interviews, transcribed, coded, analysed and interpreted using an interpretive thematic lens. The themes which emerged showed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds brought different kinds of assets to those of the university’s average students. Consequently, their academic integration and success depended on these assets (capital). The first significant finding was that the background of these students equipped them with the ability to respond to the many and varied challenges in their educational environment so that they emerged as ‘victors’. Their backgrounds had moulded them. They had to cope with the academic rigours of a higher education institution: they were resilient, self-determined and intrinsically motivated. Their life experiences gave them ‘compensatory skills’ (coping mechanisms) which they used when confronted with educational difficulties. The second finding revealed that an understanding of their backgrounds more than adequately explained their success. These students had to negotiate their way through academia very differently. They had to make different choices when faced with the problems of who could help them or where they should go for assistance with their academic work (whether peers, lecturers, tutors or other people).

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Enthoven, Margaretha Ewdokija Maria. "The ability to bounce beyond : the contribution of the school environment to the resilence of Dutch urban middle-adolescents from a low socio-economic background." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28037.

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Pupils from a low SES differ in their development within the same school context. It is argued that the mechanisms through which education and the school environment as a whole can contribute to the successful development of children from a low SES should be identified and mapped. Therefore a focus on the mechanisms that lead to children with a low SES succeeding, in addition to discussing the reasons for these children not succeeding is proposed. The present research is drawn upon bio-ecological and symbolic interactionist theories of human development in an effort to understand resilience as involving person-context transactions. Specifically, the resilience of adolescents in the school context is studied as a joint function of personal characteristics and social contextual affordances that either promote or thwart the development of person-level, resilient-enhancing characteristics. The study employed inductive as well as deductive methods for knowledge development. Firstly, the concept of “resilience” was defined and operationalized in a Resilience Questionnaire (VVL). This questionnaire was validated on 399 middle-adolescents from five Educational Opportunity Schools in the Netherlands. Secondly, the inductive “Grounded Theory” method was followed with 21 middle-adolescents from three of the five Educational Opportunity Schools. In answer to the main question “How does the school environment contribute to the resilience of middle-adolescent students?”, the school environment can contribute to resilience through facilitating safety and good education. Resilient and Not-Resilient middle-adolescents differ in their dependence on the school environment for their access to these resilience-enhancing circumstances and factors. In relation to the first sub question, “What are resilient middle-adolescents’ perceptions of the contribution of the school environment to their resilience?”, the school environment contributes to the resilience of resilient middle-adolescents by challenging them (e.g with high expectations) and by offering opportunities to create constructive relationships with adults and fellow students in the school environment (e.g through informal conversations and through keeping order in the classroom). In answer to the second and third sub questions, “What are the perceptions of not-resilient middle-adolescents of the contribution of the school environment to their state of resilience?” and “How can the comparison between these two perceptions be explained?”, Not-Resilient middle-adolescents identify and utilise the services and potentially protective factors in the school enviroment less of their own accord than Resilient middle-adolescents do. The school environment can contribute to the resilience of Not-Resilient middle-adolescents by facilitating an overview, insight and positive future expectations in a very direct, controlling manner: An overview over risks for one’s own development and the presence of potential resources to assist one’s own development; insight into his or her own abilities to deal with possible risks; and positive future expectations on the improvement of a situation after a problem or risk has occurred. In summary, the daily situations in the school environment offer enough tools to contribute to the resilience of resilient and not-resilient middle-adolescents. These should, however, be recognised by both the middle-adolescent and the adults in the school environment as opportunities for development, which should subsequently be grasped in order to learn to deal with these challenges constructively.
Thesis (PhD (Learning Supoort, Guidance and Counselling))--University of Pretoria, 2007.
Educational Psychology
PhD
unrestricted

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Mtshweni, Vivian Bongani. "The effects of sense of belonging adjustment on undergraduate students'intention to dropout of university." Diss., 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26235.

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Text in English
Although the participation of students at institutions of higher learning in South Africa is increasing, student dropout remains a challenge. Student dropout is influenced by a variety of factors, some of which are psychological. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of adjustment and sense of belonging on students’ intention to dropout of university. The study comprised of three distinctive objectives. The first objective of the study was to examine the relationship between sense of belonging, adjustment and students’ intention to drop out of university. Second, the study sought to test whether sense of belonging and adjustment would predict students’ intention to dropout of university. Finally, the study sought to test whether students’ socioeconomic status would moderate the relationship between sense of belonging and intention to dropout of university. The sample for the study consisted of 955 students enrolled for undergraduate programmes for the 2018 academic year. Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression and moderation analysis were used to test hypotheses stated in the study. The findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between sense of belonging, adjustment and the intention to dropout. The findings also confirmed that sense of belonging and adjustment predict the intention to dropout. However, the study could not prove the hypothesis that socioeconomic status moderates the relationship between sense of belonging and the intention to dropout. Nevertheless, the findings of this study highlighted the importance of psychological factors on undergraduate students’ academic success. Thus, universities should consider initiating programmes that will address students’ psychological challenges throughout their enrolment at university to improve student retention and rates of graduation.
Psychology
M.A.(Psychology with Specialization in Research Consultation)

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Štěpán, Cyril. "Rozvoj jazykových dovedností žáků z jazykově znevýhodněného prostředí v přírodovědné výuce." Master's thesis, 2019. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-408485.

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Diploma thesis - Cyril Štěpán Abstract In the theoretical part of my thesis, I first aim to outline the particular language problems of children brought up in a socially disadvantaged background. I attempt to describe what actually is "social disadvantage" and what are its specifics. Moreover, I deal with the particularity of development of children in such background and with the imapact on communication skills of these children when they enter nursery or elementary school. In the second chapter of my thesis, I write about langugage and communication barriers of children with different mother tongue. I describe and explain the term "different mother tongue". Then I pursue the statistics on pupils foreigners in czech schools and their categorisation to discover the most represented foreign languages in czech schools. I furthermore describe these languages (Slavic language group and Vietnamese) and I point out those linguistic differences of these languages when compared to the czech language that are the most crucial ones in the process of learning czech. In the last chapter of the theoretical part of my thesis, I write about school inclusion of these pupils. I first try to define the term inclusion only to later come up with concrete strategies and possibilities of inclusion of these pupils in czech...

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Chetty, Balaraj Vengetsamy. "Some didactic implications of the admission of black pupils to the Indian primary schools in Phoenix with special reference to language proficiency." Diss., 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/16435.

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The influx of Black pupils seeking admission to Indian schools began in 1990 after the Democratic Movement's "all schools for all people" campaign was announced. The medium of instruction in Indian schools is English which is also the mother tongue. Therefore Black pupils who come on transfer from schools in the KwaZulu township are immediately faced with a language problem as they are taught in the mother tongue untii standard three, when they switch to English. This research project arose as a result of the researcher's experience with Black pupils, whom he - felt were severely linguistically underprepared for academic study in the senior primary phase. Furthermore, most present day teachers were trained for monocultural schools and have little or no experience of multicultural education. The main problem that this research focuses on includes the learning problems encountered by Black pupils in Indian primary schools and the concomitant teaching problems their teachers experience.
Educational Studies
M. Ed. (Didactics)

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Dhlamini, Joseph Jabulane. "Investigating the effect of implementing a context-based problem solving instruction on learners' performance." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/9739.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of context-based problem solving instruction (CBPSI) on the problem solving performance of Grade 10 learners, who performed poorly in mathematics. A cognitive load theory (CLT) was used to frame the study. In addition, CLT was used to: 1) facilitate the interpretation and explanation of participants‟ problem solving performance; and, 2) influence the design of CBPSI to hone participants‟ problem solving skills. The study was conducted in the Gauteng province of South Africa and involved a two-week intervention program in each of the nine participating high schools. Participants consisted of 783 learners and four Grade 10 mathematics teachers. A non-equivalent control group design was employed, consisting of a pre- and post- measure. In addition, classroom observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers and learners. Teachers employed conventional problem solving instructions in four control schools while the researcher implemented CBPSI in five experimental schools. Instruction in experimental schools entailed several worked-out context-based problem solving examples given to participants in worksheets. The main aspects of CBPSI embraced elements of the effects of self-explanation and split-attention, as advocated by CLT. Due to the design of CBPSI participants in experimental schools became familiar with the basic context-based problem solving tasks that were presented to them through the worked-out example samples. In turn, the associated cognitive load of problem solving tasks was gradually reduced. The principal instrument for data collection was a standardized Functional Mathematics Achievement Test. The pre-test determined participants‟ initial problem solving status before intervention. A post-test was given at the end of intervention to benchmark change in the functionality of CBPSI over a two-week period. Using one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and other statistical techniques the study found that participants in experimental schools performed significantly better than participants in control schools on certain aspects of problem solving performance. In addition, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations revealed that participants rated CBPSI highly. On the whole, the study showed that CBPSI is an effective instructional tool to enhance the problem solving performance of Grade 10 mathematics learners.
Mathematics Education
D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

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Fils-Aimé, Nestor. "Analyse des attitudes envers les sciences chez des élèves du secondaire d'origine haïtienne de milieux défavorisés de la région de Montréal." Thèse, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1866/4953.

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Ayant en perspective la faible représentativité des élèves d’origine haïtienne issus des milieux défavorisés de la grande région de Montréal dans les filières scientifiques à l’école secondaire et dans les orientations de carrière, cette étude vise à examiner l’incidence de caractéristiques individuelles ainsi que de facteurs associés à l’environnement familial, scolaire, socioéconomique et culturel sur les attitudes de ces élèves envers les sciences. L’analyse des données est basée sur les résultats d’un questionnaire portant sur le profil sociodémographique d’un groupe d’élèves de quatrième et cinquième année fréquentant deux écoles secondaires multiethniques de la couronne-nord de Montréal ainsi que sur des entretiens avec quinze de ces élèves qui sont d’origine haïtienne. Des entretiens ont également été réalisés avec des parents, un membre d’un organisme communautaire, des membres du personnel des écoles ainsi que des professionnels et scientifiques haïtiano-québécois dans le but de porter un regard croisé sur les différentes positions exprimées par les quinze élèves. Le modèle écosystémique de Bronfenbrenner (1979, 1986) a servi de cadre de référence permettant de dégager les pôles les plus marquants dans les attitudes envers les sciences chez les élèves d’origine haïtienne. La synthèse des opinions exprimées par les différents répondants souligne l’existence d’un environnement peu valorisant des sciences autour des élèves d’origine haïtienne. Les conditions socioéconomiques, les pratiques familiales, le statut ethnoculturel ainsi que des représentations individuelles des sciences concourent à créer et à maintenir des attitudes très peu engageantes envers les sciences chez ces élèves. L’étude met en évidence l’urgence de démystifier les sciences en brisant certains stéréotypes qui empêchent certaines catégories d’élèves d’accéder aux sciences. Elle commande aussi les politiques en matière d’éducation d’être plus ouvertes aux différences ethnoculturelles et d’explorer des manières dynamiques de rendre la culture scientifique accessible à tous les groupes sociaux.
Having in perspective the slight representativeness of students, from Haitian background, from the most unprivileged sections of the great region of Montreal in the scientific fields in High School and in the choices of career, this study intends to examine the effect of the individual characteristics as well as the associated factors related to the familial, scholastic, socio-economic, and cultural environment upon the attitudes of those students toward sciences. The analysis of the datum is based on the results of a questionnaire focusing on the socio-demographic profile of a group of students from fourth and fifth year attending two multiethnic High Shools of the North-Crown of Montreal as well as on the interviews with fifteen of those students who are from a haitian background. There were also interviews with some parents, a member of a community organism, some staff members of some schools as well as some Haitian-Quebecer professionals and scientists, in order to have a critical viewpoint upon the different positions expressed by the fifteen students. The Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystemic model (1979, 1986) has been used as scope of reference allowing to draw the prominent aspects from the attitudes toward science in the students, from haitian background. The synthesis of ideas expressed by different interviewee reveals the existence of a environment not much enhancing the value of sciences around of students, from Haitian background. The socio-economic conditions, the familial practices, the ethnocultural status as well as some individual representations of sciences contribute to create and maintain some attitudes very little committed to sciences in those students. The study shows how much it is urgent to demystify the sciences by breaking with some stereotypes that prevent some categories of students from acceding to sciences. It also commands to politicians, concerning education, to be more open to ethnocultural differences and to explore some dynamic ways in order to make the scientific culture accessible to all social groups.

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Moyo, Flora. "An overview of productive vocabulary levels amongst ESL learners and teachers in Gauteng township schools." Diss., 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24502.

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The study measures the productive vocabulary size of Grade 6 English Second Language learners and teachers in 16 township schools in Gauteng Province. Data from learners (n-881) and teachers (n-19) were collected by testing the participants with versions C and A respectively of the Productive Vocabulary levels Test of Controlled ability. In addition, samples of learners’ written work were examined. Interviews and lesson observations with a sample of teachers were conducted to triangulate the data. Using SPSS version 23, means for each word level were calculated. The ANOVA, t-tests and post hoc tests were performed. Bonferroni corrections were applied. Results indicate that both learners and teachers have not mastered the vocabulary at the levels tested. The results also indicate that poor vocabulary teaching methods and poverty contribute to poor vocabulary development among learners.
Linguistics and Modern Languages
M.A. (Applied Linguistics)

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Disadvantaged backgrounds'

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