http://hdl.handle.net/10500/6441 2013-05-22T08:49:13Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/8972 A psycho-educational intervention program to enhance the mental toughness of secondary school cricket players Griffith, William Charles The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a psycho-educational intervention program on the mental toughness of secondary school cricketers. The general aim of the study was to use psychological skills and psychological techniques to enhance the mental toughness of secondary school cricketers, within a psycho-educational framework. This general aim of the study was actualised by employing the following specific aims: • A literature review was conducted to explore the psycho-educational model. It was found that the psycho-educational model was an appropriate model to use as the framework of the intervention program. • The literature review investigated and evaluated different psychological skills and psychological techniques that influenced the mental toughness of cricketers positively. • A questionnaire was designed. This questionnaire (CMTQ) fulfilled the role of a psychological skills measuring tool. • A psycho-educational intervention program was designed around the findings of the literature study. • Guidelines were compiled to follow when coaching mental toughness to secondary school cricketers. • The intervention program was presented over a six week period. • An empirical study was conducted to evaluate the successfulness of the intervention program. The first phase of the empirical study was done before the presentation of the psycho-educational intervention program. The data suggest that Confidence and Motivation were the two main psychological skills that the participants employed in their mental game of cricket. The second phase of the empirical study was only done after the completion of the six week intervention program. The selected data analysis method employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program was the t-test for dependant groups. v The results of the data analysis indicated that the participants in the experimental group improved in their mental toughness performance significantly. When the findings of the literature review and the results of the empirical study are combined, it appears as if this intervention program will have a positive influence on the cricket performance of secondary school cricketers. 2012-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/8843 Educational guidance for parents who are under pressure from their adolescent children Marais, Amanda Claudia Most adolescents place pressure on their parents. The pressure varies, so there must be factors that contribute to the variance. An important objective of the investigation was to determine such factors from the parent’s side and from the adolescent’s side. It was also important to determine the most important factors in family functioning, and in the wider social context that affect the placement of pressure on parents by adolescents. A sample of 177 high school adolescents and their parents was used. Variables such as age, gender, family structure, working circumstances of parents, birth order position of adolescents, peer pressure, the parent-adolescent relationship, self-concept and personality were included in the study. The results indicate that the pressure that parents experience is associated with parental variables rather than adolescent variables. Parental self-concept, personality, and the parent-adolescent relationship (from the parent’s side) explained almost 63% of the variance in the pressure that parents experience. The conclusion can be made that it is not adolescents who deliberately plan to place their parents under pressure, but rather parents who make themselves vulnerable to such a situation. Any remedy or guidance programme will have to focus primarily on the parent, and the success of such a programme will depend on the way in which it supports the self-concept of the parent. 2012-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/8766 The characteristics that make girls more susceptible to bullying Thomas, Nicole The purpose of this study was to gain an awareness of the behavioural characteristics, physical mannerisms and relational techniques exhibited by young adolescent girls in South Africa who may be susceptible to, or have been traumatised by being bullied. A literature study and an empirical investigation were conducted to establish whether victims of bullying have distinct personality traits, as well as to determine if specific parenting styles affect the vulnerability of their adolescent daughters. The effectiveness of bullying prevention strategies in adolescent relationships was also explored. A questionnaire was developed to ascertain how adolescents perceive victims of bullying. Eight semi-structured interviews using photographs and a cartoon as projective techniques were conducted with victims to gather data and to enrich the findings. This study has demonstrated that international research about victimisation is pertinent to South African children. 2012-07-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/8484 Parent involvement and the academic achievement of previously disadvantaged learners awarded scholarships to attend independent schools in Johannesburg Mchunu, Nomusa Bonisiwe This study examined the effect of parent involvement on the academic achievement of previously disadvantaged learners who was awarded scholarships to attend independent boys‟ schools in Johannesburg. Through a qualitative inquiry using a small sample of parents and teachers (SSP coordinators), the findings added to the existing literature review. There is evidence that parent involvement is essential in high school and that parent involvement at home has an impact on the learners‟ achievement irrespective of the parents‟ socio-economic status and level of education. Furthermore, the results support the assumption that, the sense of not belonging and other barriers that hinder parents from being involved in school activities could be resolved by improving communication and forging a healthy relationship between parents and teachers. This creates a need for a parent involvement programme that will attend to the needs of the parents and teachers. This programme will empower them with skills that will improve their partnership. 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z