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Critical thinking of adolescents with regard to political issues

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dc.contributor.advisor Bester, Garfield
dc.contributor.author Pienaar, Gregory Edward
dc.date.accessioned 2015-01-23T04:24:05Z
dc.date.available 2015-01-23T04:24:05Z
dc.date.issued 1998-11
dc.identifier.citation Pienaar, Gregory Edward (1998) Critical thinking of adolescents with regard to political issues, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/15774> en
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10500/15774
dc.description Summaries in English and Afrikaans
dc.description.abstract The second fully democratic election in South Africa is scheduled to take place in May 1999. In the five years since the first election, it appears that very little attention has been paid to the political literacy of the electorate in general, and the youth in particular. The purpose of this study was to establish adolescents' level of political knowledge and whether they are able to think critically about political issues or not. The first part of the literature study which was concerned with critical thinking revealed that the major aspects of critical thinking are: deductive reasoning, inductive inference, recognition of assumptions, credibility, and problem solving. The second part of the literature study was an analysis of which factors may play a role in the development of critical thinking of an adolescent. with particular reference to a political context. The third part was an examination of important current political and social issues. These were: the new Constitution. Truth and Reconciliation Commission, housing, land redistribution, education, labour, health, crime, political violence, environment, and the next election. A reliable measuring instrument was developed in order to measure adolescents' knowledge of political issues, and their ability to think critically about these issues. The results of the empirical study revealed that intellectual potential and academic achievement were significantly related to critical thinking ability, while gender, environment, and personality appeared not to play a role. There was a significant correlation between political knowledge and critical thinking in a political context, implying that critical thinking is subject-specific. Cultural background also played a significant role in critical thinking in a political context. In terms of political knowledge, boys were found to be at a significantly higher level than girls. The subjects from urban areas were also at a significantly higher level than those from rural areas. There was also a positive correlation between intellectual potential, academic achievement, and political knowledge. Finally, some recommendations for improving the levels of political knowledge and critical thinking abilities with regard to political issues of South African adolescents were given. en
dc.description.abstract Die tweede ten valle demokratiese verkiesing in Suid-Afrika is geskeduleer om in Mei 1999 plaas te vind. In die vyf jaar sedert die vorige verkiesing is baie min aandag gegee aan die politieke geletterdheid van die verkiesingspubliek in die algemeen en die jeug in besonder. Die doel van hierdie studie was om adolessente se vlak van politieke kennis te bepaal en om vas te stel of hulle in staat is om krities oar politieke kwessies na te dink. Die eerste deel van die literatuurstudie wat verband hou met kritiese denke het uitgewys dat die hoofaspekte van kritiese denke die volgende is: deduktiewe redenering, induktiewe inferensies, herkenning van aannames, geloofwaardigheid en probleemoplossing. Die tweede deel van die literatuurstudie behels 'n analise van die faktore wat 'n rol kan speel in die ontwikkeling van die kritiese denke van die adolessent, met spesifieke verwysing na 'n politieke konteks. Die derde deel is 'n ondersoek na belangrike teenswoordige politieke en sosiale kwessies. Hierdie kwessies sluit in: die nuwe Grondwet, die Waarheids- en Versoeningskommissie, behuising, herverdeling van grand, opvoeding, arbeid, gesondheid, misdaad, politieke geweld, die omgewing en die volgende verkiesing. 'n Betroubare meetinstrument om adolessente se kennis van politieke kwessies asook hul vermoe om krities daaroor na te dink, is ontwikkel. Die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek het aangetoon dat intellektuele potensiaal en akademiese prestasie betekenisvol verband hou met kritiese denkvermoe, terwyl geslag, omgewing en persoonlikheid klaarblyklik nie 'n rol speel nie. Daar is ook 'n betekenisvolle korrelasie tussen politieke kennis en kritiese denke in 'n politieke konteks wat impliseer dat kritiese denke vakspesifiek is. Kulturele agtergrond speel ook 'n betekenisvolle rol in kritiese denke in 'n politieke konteks. Ten opsigte van politieke kennis is daar bevind dat seuns op 'n betekenisvolle hoer vlak is as dogters. Respondente uit stedelike gebiede is oak op 'n betekenisvolle hoer vlak as diegene uit plattelandse gebiede. Oaar is oak 'n betekenisvolle korrelasie tussen intellektuele potensiaal, akademiese prestasie en politieke kennis. Ten slotte is aanbevelings gemaak om die vlakke van politieke kennis en kritiese denkvermoens met betrekking tot politieke aangeleenthede by Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente te verbeter. af
dc.format.extent 1 online resource (xviii, 309 leaves) : illustrations
dc.language.iso en
dc.subject Critical thinking en
dc.subject Adolescence en
dc.subject Political issues en
dc.subject Political issues en
dc.subject Political knowledge en
dc.subject Cultural background en
dc.subject Academic achievement en
dc.subject Intellectual potential en
dc.subject Gender en
dc.subject Environment en
dc.subject Education en
dc.subject Kritiese denke af
dc.subject Adolessensie af
dc.subject Politieke kwessies af
dc.subject Politieke kennis af
dc.subject Kulturele agtergrond af
dc.subject Akademiese prestasie af
dc.subject Intellektuele potensiaal af
dc.subject Geslag af
dc.subject Omgewing af
dc.subject Opvoedkunde af
dc.subject.ddc 370.1520835
dc.subject.lcsh Critical thinking -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Cognition in adolescence -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Adolescence -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Political socialization -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Adolescent psychology en
dc.subject.lcsh Children and politics en
dc.subject.lcsh Education -- Political aspects -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Youth -- Political activity en
dc.subject.lcsh South Africa -- Social conditions en
dc.subject.lcsh Educational psychology en
dc.subject.lcsh South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- en
dc.title Critical thinking of adolescents with regard to political issues en
dc.type Thesis
dc.description.department Psychology of Education
dc.description.degree D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)


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