This study explored how nine adolescent learner-participants with cerebral palsy or other physical
disabilities responded to an emotional support programme (EOP) of 20 intervention sessions, aimed at
developing their emotional intelligence. The research study highlighted the utilisational value and
importance of emotional intelligence, which is associated with problem-solving skills, career success, selfactualisation,
stress management and the like.
The rationale for compiling the EOP was in accordance with the rationale for the research study, being
embedded in diverse learning needs, support for learners, and the design of learner opportunities. The study
focused among others on the development and implementation of an EOP based on Bar-On as conceptual
model (2000), together with the five core competencies of social and emotional learning (SEL), namely:
responsible decision-making, emotional self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and
relationship skills. The Lions Quest SEL-programme, Skills for Adolescence, formed the basis of the EOP,
although the researcher had to adapt it for her learner-participants’ special educational needs. The EOP
was further extended with the knowledge obtained through the literature study regarding emotional
intelligence and adolescence, and was aligned with the aims of the South African school curriculum in
respect of emotional intelligence skills, as stated in the aims of the subject Life Skills.
The researcher’s embedded, mixed-method research design allowed the larger qualitative component to
include the smaller quantitative component, so that the specific phenomenon could be understood from
different participants’ perspectives. Qualitative data was collected by means of metaphor interviews and
collage activities. The quantitative research component of the study refers to the standardised Bar-On
Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV) together with the researcher’s own structured
questionnaire. The researcher did not interpret the data obtained from the quantitative data collection
instruments in isolation, but used it to expand and verify the results of her qualitative generated data. The
integrated data results of the learner-participants brought the answer to the research problem: most of the
adolescent learner-participants with special educational needs who had participated in the EOP, did indeed
benefit through their involvement, and their emotional intelligence (the phenomenon under scrutiny) had
improved.
Die studie ondersoek hoe nege adolessente leerder-deelnemers met serebrale en fisieke gestremdhede op
’n emosionele ondersteuningsprogram (EOP) van 20 intervensiesessies reageer met die doel om hulle
emosionele intelligensie te ontwikkel. Die benuttingswaarde en belangrikheid van emosionele intelligensie
word deur die navorsingstudie uitgelig. Hoë emosionele intelligensie word geassosieer met
probleemoplossingsvaardighede, werksukses, selfverwesenliking en streshantering, onder andere.
Die rasionaal vir die samestelling van die EOP stem ooreen met die rasionaal vir die navorsingstudie en is
gevestig in uiteenlopende leerbehoeftes, ondersteuning aan leerders, en die skep van leergeleenthede. Die
studie fokus op die samestelling en implementering van ’n emosionele ondersteuningsprogram (EOP)
gebaseer op Bar-On (2000) se konstruk van emosionele intelligensie as konseptuele model van die studie
saam met die vyf kernbevoegdhede van sosiale en emosionele leer (SEL), naamlik: verantwoordelike
besluitneming, emosionele selfbewussyn, selfbestuur, sosiale bewussyn en verhoudingsvaardighede. Die
Lions Quest SEL-program, Skills for Adolescence, vorm die grondslag van die EOP, alhoewel die navorser
baie aanpassings vir haar leerder-deelnemers se spesiale onderwysbehoeftes moes maak. Die EOP is
verder uitgebrei deur die kennis wat die navorser tydens die literatuurstudie ingewin het ten opsigte van
emosionele intelligensie en adolessensie, en sluit aan by die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolkurrikulum-doelwitte wat
verband hou met emosionele intelligensie-vaardighede soos uiteengesit in die doelwitte vir die vak
Lewensvaardighede.
Die navorser se ingebedde, gemengdemetode-navorsingsontwerp laat toe dat die groter kwalitatiewe
komponent die kleiner kwantitatiewe komponent insluit, sodat die spesifieke fenomeen vanuit verskillende
deelnemers se perspektiewe verstaan kon word. Kwalitatiewe data is deur middel van die metafooronderhoud
en collage-aktiwiteit ingesamel. Die kwantitatiewe navorsingskomponent van die studie verwys
na die gestandaardiseerde Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV) tesame met die
navorser se eie gestruktureerde vraelys. Die navorser het die data wat sy uit die kwantitatiewe datainsamelingsinstrumente
verkry het, nie net in isolasie geïnterpreteer nie, maar dit ook gebruik om die
resultate van haar kwalitatief-gegenereerde data uit te brei en te verifieer. Die geïntegreerde data-resultate
van die leerder-deelnemers bied die antwoord op die: die meerderheid van die adolessente leerderdeelnemers
met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes wat aan die EOP deelgeneem het, het inderdaad gebaat by
hulle deelname, en hulle emosionele intelligensie (die fenomeen wat ondersoek is) het verbeter.
Ucwaningo luhlola ukuthi ngabe ukuzibandakanya kwabafundi abangabadlalindima abayisishiyagalolunye
abasesigabeni sobubhungu/sobutshitshi abakhubazeke ngokwengqondo noma ngayiphi indlela emzimbeni
baphendule kanjani kuhlelo oluxhasa ngokommoya (emotional support programme) kumihlangano engama-
20 yokunceda, ehlose ekuqiniseni ubuhlakani bommoya. Isifundo socwaningo siveze ukubaluleka
kokusebenzisa kanye nokubaluleka kobuhlakani bommoya, okuhambisana namakhono okuxazulula
izinkinga, impumelelo yobizo lomsebenzi, ukuzibonakalisa, ukulawula ingcindezi yengqondo kanye nokunye.
Isizathu sokuhlela i-ESP sasihambisana nenhloso yesifundo socwaningo, esitholakala kwizidingo zemfundo
ezahlukahlukene, kanye nokuhleleka kwamathuba omfundi. Ucwaningo lubheke hlangana nokunye
nokuthuthukiswa kanye nokusetshenziswa kohlelo lwe-ESP olususelwa ku-Bar-On njengemodeli yegama
(2000), kanye namanye amacebo abalulekile amahlanu ohlelo lokufunda kwabantu kanye nokufunda
ngokwemizwa (SEL), wona yilawa alandelayo: Ukumelana nezinqumo ozithethe, ukwazi imizwa yakho,
ukuziphatha ngokwakho, ukuxwayiswa komphakathi kanye namakhono okwenza ubudlelwano. Uhlelo lwe-
Lions Quest SEL, Skills for Adolescence, akha isisekelo se-ESP, yize umcwaningi kwakufanele aluguqule
lolu hlelo ukwenzela ukuba luhambisane nezidingo ezikhethekile zemfundo yafundi abadlala indima. . Uhlelo
lwe--ESP lwaqhubeka nokukhuliswa ngolwazi olwalutholakala ngocwaningo lombhalo wobuciko
obumayelana nobuhlakani bokusebenzisa imizwa kanye nesigaba sobutshitshi/sobubhungu, kanti lolu hlelo
lwaluhambisana nezinhloso zekharikhulami yezikole zaseNingizimu Afrika mayelana namakhono
okusebenzisa obuhlakani bokusebenzisa imizwa, njengoba kushiwobkwizinhloso zesifundo samaKhono
Empilo (Life Skills).
Isakhiwo somcwaningi esequkethwe, sohlelo-oluvangene locwaningo siye savumela isigaba esikhulu
socwaningo olugxile kukhwalithi (qualitative) ukuba sixube isigaba esincane esigxile kumanani (quantitative),
ukuze kuzwisiseke uhlelo oluthize ngokwemiqondo yabadlalindima abehlukahlukene. Idatha yohlelo lwequalitative
yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa izinhlolombono zokungathekisa kanye nemisebenzi yokuhlanganisa
imifanekiso eminingi. Isigaba socwaningo olugxile kumanani sichaza uhlelo olufanayo lwe--Bar-On Emotional
Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQi:YV) kanye nemibhalo yemibuzo ehlelwe wumcwaningi. Umcwaningi
akazange achaze idatha etholakele kumathuluzi okuqoqa idatha encike kumanani yodwa, kodwa le datha iye
yasetshenziselwa ukukhulisa kanye nokuqinisekisa imiphumela yakhe eyakhiwe ngokwendlela yekhwalithi.
Imiphumelo ehlangene yedatha yomfundi ongumdlalindima ilethe impendulo kwinkinga yocwaningo: Iningi
labafundi abadlala indima abasesesigabeni sobubhungu/sobutshitshi abadinga imfundo ekhethekile
abazibandakanye ohlelweni lwe-ESP, ngempela baye bazuza ngokuzibandakanya kwabo, kanti-ke izinga
labo lokusebenzisa ikhono lobuhlakani bemizwa buye bathuthuka kakhulu (the phenomenon under scrutiny).
