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Browsing Education by Author "Badenhorst, M. G."
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Item Open Access Culture and gender as factors in patterns of high-risk sexual behaviour among students on the main campus of the University of the Free State(University of the Free State, 2007-06) Coetsee, Engela Elizabeth; Badenhorst, M. G.; Hay, J.; Basson, P.English: In this article, an exposition is provided on information collected in a survey conducted at the University of the Free State (UFS) to help provide a better understanding of risk factors for HIV infection among UFS students in comparison with the behaviour patterns of students at other universities. The focus was a univariate analysis. Stereotypes identified as a known risk factor making students at other universities more vulnerable to HIV and high-risk sexual behaviour, were also found among UFS students] 53% of the respondents believed that lower-class people were most at risk of contracting HIV. Forty percent (40%) of the students who took part in the study admitted to being sexually active. This correlates with findings in the literature study that students are a highly sexually active population. Eighteen percent (18%) of sexually active students at the UFS admitted to having had five or more sexual partners in their lifetime. Fifteen to nineteen years was identified as the watershed age range during which most participants first had sexual intercourse. The majority of students (76%), stated that the existence of HIV had influenced their sexual interaction with other people. In an interesting revelation, a general sexual culture was identified among UFS students, rather than culturally-based sexual practices.Item Open Access Evaluering van die effektiwiteit van terapeutiese programme in kindersorgskole met spesifieke verwysing na Rosenhof Jeugsorgsentrum(University of the Free State, 2005-11) Van Zyl, Margaretha Tertia; Badenhorst, M. G.English: Article one: The purpose of this study was to investigate the general function of the child-care school in society, as well as the programmes offered at these schools, and to describe these in accordance with the existing relevant literature. Accordingly, a survey of the learners referred to child-care schools was conducted, and their clinical profile and background were discussed. From the literature studied, it became clear that all child-care school learners display a characteristic emotional uncertainty and immaturity which often lead to unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships. It also appeared that there is a close relationship between the clinical profile of the child-care school learners and their background. The environmental, socio-economic and family background of child- care school learners can be described as unsuitable, unbalanced and insufficient in nature. This may lead to various behavioural problems among the learners whose normal development and experience are found not to be on par with those of other learners of their age. The Child Care Act (1983), however, makes provision for referral and admission to, as well as re-education of these learners at the child-care school. In order to be able to re-integrate the admitted learners into the broader society as responsible, well-equipped and well-balanced persons, it is necessary that an all-inclusive therapeutic approach be followed at child-care schools. The main purpose of the child-care school is to create an educational world of living by means of the offering of therapeutic programmes, i.e. a world in which the pedagogically neglected learner will be able to catch up with that part of education that he or she had to do without before admission, and to correct the shortfall or deficiencies in the education of the learner concerned. In this literature study, specific reference is made to the Rosenhof Youth Care Centre which is the only child-care school in Bloemfontein. A survey regarding the origin and development of Rosenhof Youth Care Centre, as well as the therapeutic programmes offered there, was conducted and discussed in detail. There are four fundamental principle phases on which the therapeutic programmes are based, namely satisfying the need “to belong”, the creation of opportunities to experience success, the encouragement to become independent and the finding of virtuousness in the value of sharing. The functioning of the therapeutic programmes is holistic in nature, and therefore the interventions can be viewed as building blocks which eventually lead to the achievement of success in life skills by the child-care school learner. This study supports the notion that child-care schools give stability and direction to the disrupted lives of the said learners. The task at hand cannot be performed without using a therapeutic approach. It requires conscientious, dedicated and unselfish commitment from the multi-professional team to achieve success in the offering of the therapeutic programmes – a task which was performed successfully according to the findings of the study in hand, namely an investigation of the all-inclusive therapeutic approach followed at the Rosenhof Youth Care Centre. Article two: In the empirical study, the researcher determined the biographical background functioning of girls at Rosenhof Youth Care Centre. The behaviour of the group under investigation was observed before and after they had been exposed to the therapeutic programmes offered at Rosenhof Youth Care Centre. A tenth of the newly admitted learners at the school were used as research group. Their observable behaviour was evaluated on admission by members of the multi-professional team, consisting of the management team of the school, teachers, child-care staff, residence personnel and school psychologists, by means of a self-structured questionnaire. After six months, the research group was re-evaluated by the same members of the multi-professional team. By making use of statistical processing inclusive of paired t-testing and frequencies, the multi-professional team endeavoured to determine whether the observable behaviour of the research group had improved significantly after completing the therapeutic programmes offered at Rosenhof Youth Care Centre. A frequency analysis of the results obtained with regard to the biographical background of the research group showed that the average age of the research group was between fourteen and fifteen years. The learners were in Grade eight and in the adolescent stage of development. Most of the learners had already repeated at least one grade in their school career and as far as general knowledge was concerned, the majority seemed to be deprived. In most cases, the learners’ parents were divorced and they spent their holidays with the biological mother. It was interesting to note that most of the learners were not illegitimate at birth. The researcher came to the conclusion that the main reason for reference to the Rosenhof Youth Care Centre was the sexual misbehaviour of learners. With regard to the results of the observable behaviour of the research group, no significant differences were found between the pre- and post-test scores with regard to the all-inclusive programme bases. However, an analysis of separate behavioural aspects such as interpersonal relationships, communication skills, standards of neatness, self-assertion and independent decision-making of learners showed a significant improvement. The fact that no significant changes took place in some areas can be ascribed to the short period of time during which the learners were exposed to the therapeutic programmes. The vast improvement in the maintaining of interpersonal relationships achieved over a short period of time, revealed an effective, significant change in the behaviour and clinical profile of the child-care school learners concerned. The majority of learners admitted to Rosenhof Youth Care Centre came from a deficient, problematic biographical background which manifested itself in problematic and deviant behaviour. The therapeutic programmes offered at Rosenhof Youth Care Centre directly address negative behavioural patterns, and, in spite of a short period of exposure to these programmes, the learners’ interaction with others took a positive turn. It could thus be concluded that the therapeutic milieu at Rosenhof Youth Care Centre was effective in changing the behaviour of deprived learners significantly.Item Open Access 'n Leerprogram vir meervoudige intelligensie in tegnologie vir die intermediêre skoolfase van die Mitchells Plain-streek(University of the Free State, 2005) Carolus, David; Kotzé, C. J.; Badenhorst, M. G.English: The main aim of this research was to develop a multiple-intelligence programme in the learning area of Technology in the Mitchell’s Plain region. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences was used as the theoretical framework. The particular aim of the study was to empower Technology teachers in the intermediate phase with specialised knowledge, competencies and skills to teach learners with different learning styles and abilities, as well as learners with special needs. Appropriate ways of assessment were used to evaluate these learners’ true potential and levels of knowledge. To ensure the relevance and meaningfulness of Technology for the learners, the housing need in Mitchells Plain was used as a context. Structures (an assessment standard of learning outcome 2) was used as the subject area. The design process of learning outcome 1 is organised around five integrated technological skills, namely investigate, design and make (realisation), evaluation, measurement and communication. The multiple-intelligence learning programme was developed for grade 5 learners, with the aim of adapting it for grades 4 and 6. The ultimate aim of the study was achieved through a literature study, which included the following: • the link between the general education and training band, outcomes-based education and Curriculum 2005; • developmental stages and developmental tasks in middle childhood that correspond with the intermediate phase; • traditional and non-traditional intelligence theories; • the intelligence-friendly Technology classroom; • the relationship between hemispheric specialisation and the multiple-intelligence theory. An empirical study was conducted to determine the need for the development of a multiple-intelligence learning programme in the intermediate phase. A purposeful convenient sample consisting of eleven of the twelve intermediate phase teachers in the researcher’s service area in Mitchell’s Plain was drawn. The gathering of data ended after responses from the teachers concerned reached a saturation point. A literature check was also carried out. Guba’s credibility model for qualitative research was used to ensure the norms of reliability and validity of the research. The data was processed by the researcher, with the aid of two Technology subject advisers and a primary school principal. The researcher’s conclusion was that the development of an MI learning programme in the learning area Technology in the intermediate phase was justified. The assessment of the multiple-intelligence learning programme by the two Technology specialists and the Technology teacher at a primary school and their positive comments on the programme led the researcher to conclude that the specific objectives of the study can be achieved if the MI learning programme in Technology is implemented.Item Open Access Remediërende intervensiestrategieë vir Afrikaanssprekende, intermediêre leerders met disleksie(University of the Free State, 2008-11) Tolmie, S. J.; Van Staden, A.; Badenhorst, M. G.This study contains a theoretical article and an empirical article to investigate and discuss an intervention programme for dyslectic learners with regard to their reading and spelling problems. The following discussion also serves as summary of the findings and conclusions reached by the researcher in each article. The literature study focuses on the causes of dyslexia by referring to neurological, genetic, teratogenic, and environmental and educational causes. In the discussion of the identification and assessment of dyslexia, the IQ discrepancy theory is discussed. The discussion of the cognitive, academic and behavioural characteristics of dyslectic learners illuminates the identification of these learners for the sake of using the correct intervention strategies. From the literature study, it is clear that dyslectic learners do not benefit by current teaching programmes following the phonological method. Neuro-imaging techniques have shown that dyslectic learners activate the right hemisphere of the brain (which is normally not suitable for language use) to execute phonological instructions. Therefore, better results are obtained when dyslectic learners' strong point, namely their visualisation ability, is used during language exercises. An overview is given of the various kinds of dyslexia, where it has been found in the literature study that a large majority of dyslectic learners have a strong visualisation ability. Researchers differ about the way in which dyslectic learners should be taught, however, and a variety of intervention programmes found in the literature are discussed. This study focuses on the Ron Davis program as an intervention programme, because the programme focuses on the learning preference of the dyslectic learner. It is a multisensory programme that focuses on visual, kinaesthetic and cognitive strategies. In the empirical article, the development and implementation of a remedial intervention programme, which is based on the Ron Davis program, for intermediate Afrikaansspeaking dyslectic learners is investigated and discussed. The research study has been completed at a school for learners with learning disabilities in the Motheo district in the Free State. Dyslectic learners in the experimental group (N = 18) were exposed to the remediation intervention programme that is based on the Ron Davis program, while dyslectic learners in the control group (N = 18) were receiving their normal remedial teaching. Research results in this empirical investigation have demonstrated that the reading and spelling achievements of Afrikaans-speaking intermediate dyslectic learners (experimental group) were significantly better after exposure to the remedial intervention programme that is based on the Ron Davis program than the reading and spelling achievements of the Afrikaans-speaking intermediate dyslectic learners (control group, N =18) that were not exposed to this programme. The conclusion the researcher reached after completing the study is that the word recognition and spelling achievements of Afrikaans-speaking intermediate dyslectic learners can improve significantly by exposing these dyslectic learners to a remedial intervention programme that is based on the Ron Davis program.Item Open Access Visuele beelding as spellingonderrigstrategie vir Afrikaanssprekende, graad 3-leerders, met spellingprobleme(University of the Free State, 2003-11) Van Staden, Annalene; Ferreira, A.; Badenhorst, M. G.English: Article 1: Good, effective spelling is regarded as the ‘passport’ to educational opportunities, and academic performance is measured against it. Bad spelling not only lowers the effectiveness of written work, but is often a life-long embarrassment to a person. In the light of the foregoing one would expect educators in schools to receive the required guidance on choice and application of strategies for teaching spelling. However, the opposite is true, because educators have to rely largely on own experience. As a result the choice of teaching strategies is often made in a random and unscientific manner. In the literature two teaching strategies in particular evoke response from researchers, namely the phonetic (auditory imaging) as against the non-phonetic (visual imaging) approach to teaching spelling. In the context of primary schools in the Free State, a phonetic approach to teaching spelling is mainly used, while the latest research results indicate that learners with spelling problems experience more problems than successful spellers if this approach is used. The high percentage of primary school learners who spell badly is also an indication that the phonetic approach to teaching spelling does not result in mastery success in a significant group of learners. In contrast researchers reported that good spellers are those who can retain an exact visual impression of a word, can associate the word with the visual image of it, and can recall a clear visual or kinaesthetic image of the word in written form. Although no generally accepted definition for visual imaging is mentioned in the literature, many researchers agree that imaging is a dynamic cognitive process that can probably contribute significantly to effective learning and teaching events in the classroom situation. As a consequence of the foregoing, it was endeavoured in this study to investigate the value and effectiveness of visual imaging as strategy for teaching spelling. The focus was specifically on the nature, structure and use of visual imaging as strategy for teaching spelling, different theories on imaging was described, and the possible relation between visual imaging and other aspects such as visual memory and visualisation were also highlighted and discussed. From the literature study it also appeared that research results show that visual imaging was indeed a strong factor in addressing spelling handicaps in learners with spelling problems. However, it is important to keep in mind that not all individuals have the same visual imaging potential or use it equally effectively. It is therefore very important that spelling mastery by means of visual imaging should not be left only to incidental learning, but should be accompanied by intentional awareness and application of these techniques when teaching spelling. In practice there are differences of opinion regarding the most effective strategy for teaching spelling, particularly when preference modalities are taken into account. Some educators’ point of departure is to capitalise on the strong areas, while others are in favour of supporting the weak areas. In spite of the above-mentioned differences, research results in this literature study indicate that preference modalities do not play an essential role in mastering spelling. Article 2: Some researchers postulate that in spite of the attention that is paid in the literature to strategies for teaching spelling, very little experimental research is undertaken to verify such strategies. As a result both choice and application of teaching strategies are unscientific. In spite of the important role that visual imaging plays in various cognitive tasks, limited research results are available regarding the use of visual imaging and spelling performance. Relating to the above, the purpose of this empirical study was to determine whether it is possible to neutralise or improve spelling handicaps in Afrikaans-speaking grade 3 learners by exposing such learners to a visual imaging programme. In this empirical study the researcher succeeded in showing that visual imaging can play an extremely important role in improving the spelling of learners with spelling problems. The average after-scores of experimental persons in the experimental group were significant higher than the scores of those in the control group who had not been exposed to the visual imaging programme. In practice there are contradictory viewpoints regarding the use of visual or auditory techniques in teaching spelling. Those opposed to visual teaching methods for spelling postulate, among others, that learners with auditory preference modalities will not benefit from a visual approach to teaching spelling. In this empirical study the possible relation between preference modalities and spelling performance was also investigated. Experimental persons in this study were learners with either visual or auditory preference modalities, and were exposed to the same visual imaging programme for remedial teaching. The average after-scores of learners with visual and auditory preference modalities respectively did not differ significantly. It would therefore appear that learners with different preference modalities (visual/auditory) benefited equally from the visual imaging programme. From this it can be deduced that preference modalities did not play a role in mastery of spelling by experimental persons in this study.