Department of Educational Psychology
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Browsing Department of Educational Psychology by Subject "Academic achievement"
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- ItemFormatiewe assesseringspraktyke gedurende Covid-19 afstandsonderrig: laerskool wiskunde-onderwysers se ervarings(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Deetlefs, Pauline; Conradie, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.
- ItemThe lived experienced of learners recognised for achieving despite difficult circumstances(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) De Mink, Samantha; Swart, Estelle; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The award for achieving despite difficult circumstances is a special award presented to a secondary school learner during a formal academic prize-giving ceremony. Although the citations may differ, the act of recognising learners who have had to overcome great adversity during an academic year is common practice across several schools in South Africa. Research was undertaken to understand the experience of the learners who have been recipients of this special award. This study considers inclusive education as an expression of social justice as it considers how interactions between the learner and a secondary school system influence their sense of belonging, and reviews what is considered acceptable inclusive practice, especially when acknowledging differences. The theoretical and methodological principles of case study and interpretative phenomenology within a qualitative methodology are utilised as a framework to guide this research. Data was gathered through narrative accounts and semi-structured interviews, which were analysed utilising tenets of interpretative phenomenological analysis and thematic analysis; thus, an analytic pluralistic approach was adopted to yield an in-depth and rich understanding of the learners’ experiences. Research findings indicated that for some of the participants, being recognised for achieving despite difficult circumstances held great value, while leaving others with feelings of shame and a sense that they had been highlighted as different from their peers. The findings also offered insight as to how secondary schools potentially alienate learners when there is too much emphasis placed on academic competitiveness, and where not enough opportunity exists for learners to experience recognition outside of formal award ceremonies.
- ItemParental involvement in the academic success of first-generation black, female graduate students(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Goliath, Le-Anne Lezhaan; Daniels, Doria; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: First-generation students are portrayed as being at a deficit, in literature. This is due to the overemphasis on the lack of experiential knowledge and preparedness, that literature assumes first-generation students, enter higher education environments with. In South Africa, and globally, there is a lack of asset-based research on the experiences of first-generation students, as it relates to experiences of parental involvement. As such, the purpose of the study was to shed light on the stories of successful first-generation black female graduate students, more specifically the role that family support plays in the educational success of this subset of firstgeneration students. The goal of the study was to explore, uncover and document the subjective realities of first-generation black, female graduate students, with a special focus on, their experiences of parental involvement in their academic success. Such a goal was embarked on through narrative inquiry. Three first-generation black, female graduate students were purposefully selected as the participants for the study. These women were selected based on an inclusion criterion that assisted in selecting information-rich participants. As such, the inclusion criteria required participants to; identify as female; have parents without higher education experience; be unmarried and unemployed; be enrolled as a full-time graduate student and either live with their parents or have active contact with their parents. The constructivist paradigm informed my thinking about first-generation students and their experiences in higher education while the Community Cultural Wealth framework influenced my thinking regarding the skills, abilities, and knowledge that first-generation student families offer their children. The three firstgeneration black female graduate students were studied using qualitative, semi-structured interviews and a focus group session. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. After adhering to the six-step process, described by thematic analysis, three categories emerged: being a first-generation black female graduate student, parental involvement, and other sources of support that first-generation students perceive as essential to their academic success. According to the findings of the study, first-generation black female graduate students not only experience challenges, because of their first-generation status but also view their firstgeneration status as a benefit as it offers them a unique perspective. As first-generation black female graduate students, the women in the study experienced academic, financial, and transitional challenges, but also saw their family homes as a place of refuge, which they attribute to their first-generation status. Furthermore, these women attribute a great deal of their academic success to their lived experiences of parental involvement, as the involvement of their parents increased their aspirational and resistant capital that kept them motivated, despite their challenges. The findings show that these women do not regard their parent-daughter relationship to be mismatched because of their parent’s lack of experiential knowledge in higher education and view emotional support as most valuable to their academic success.
- ItemSchool-parent collaboration to address children's barriers to learning in a full-service school(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Basson, Arno; Daniels, Doria; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Educational Psychology.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Parent involvement in the education process is beneficial for learners, families and school staff alike, with increased levels of parent involvement correlating with academic success and improvements in learner psychosocial wellbeing. In all education systems, however, children experience learning breakdowns, leading to the learner experiencing a barrier(s) to learning. Including parents in the education and support process of these children is desirable. In recognition of these factors, one of the more significant changes to the education system in South Africa was the creation of a new school category: full-service schools. In these schools, the needs of all learners are considered and catered for, with school-parent collaboration and involvement of parents in support processes and decisions highlighted as keys to success. In this study, the phenomenon of school-parent collaboration in support of learners experiencing barriers to learning is explored. In particular, the strategies that are utilised by school staff to encourage collaboration are determined. To do so, this study made use of a qualitative case study research design that was situated within the interpretive paradigm. The concept of Communities of Practice served as the theoretical framework. The bioecological model of Bronfenbrenner served as an explanatory framework to examine South African education policy. Non-probability sampling was used to select six participants, including four school staff and two parents of learners experiencing barriers to learning. Semi-structured interviews, informal observations and artefacts served as data sources. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Data analysis uncovered four themes that are representative of the strategies used at the full-service school to encourage school-parent collaboration, namely, (i) Communication, (ii) Transparency, (iii) Representation and agency, and (iv) Training and development. The findings of this study indicate that these strategies enable school staff and parents to collaborate in finding contextually relevant solutions to the challenges concerning the support of children experiencing learning barriers. These strategies also assist in creating a shared sense of ownership in the school, increased perception of parental self-efficacy, and buy-in to the education and support process.