Browsing by Author "Green, Lena"

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    Childhood depression: issues in definition diagnosis and assessment and the role of the teacher in early identification
    (1989) Wessels, Jennifer S; Green, Lena
    Until recently a little understood clinical phenomenon the very existence of which was questioned, depression is now considered a significant affective disorder in children (and adolescents). Given the grave consequences attendant upon childhood depression and the fact that early identification may be an important variable in prognosis, issues relating to its definition and identification are stressed in this dissertation. In an attempt to clarify controversies surrounding the definition of childhood depression (e.g. whether it is similar to adult depression or not) conceptual models of adult depression are put forward and their implications for childhood depression discussed. The question of how childhood depression can best be identified and other issues surrounding its assessment and diagnosis are examined. A brief review of measures used in assessment is also included as is a discussion of the use of the DSM-111(-R) with children. The role of the teacher in the early identification of childhood depression is explored and a more extensive role than is traditional, suggested. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are presented.
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    Classroom teachers' attitudes towards the mainstreaming of children with special educational needs : a small scale survey
    (1995) Davies, Jean-Marie; Green, Lena
    The primary aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of primary school teachers in ordinary classrooms towards learners with low to medium special educational needs, and to discover under what conditions, if any, they would be willing to accommodate these learners in their classrooms. It was hypothesized that teachers are not willing to accept these students without considerable support. The secondary aim of the study was to explore individual teachers' reservations about mainstreaming and methods by which these concerns could be overcome. A research design and methodology incorporating both a quantitative and a qualitative dimension was used. The sample consisted of 113 teachers drawn from six primary schools in the broader Cape Town area. Two schools were included from each of the three ex-Education Departments. A questionnaire based on the Classroom Integration Inventory (Paul, Turnbull and Cruikshank, 1977) was developed and administered to the teachers. This provided the data for the primary investigation. The data for the secondary investigation was collected by means of semi-structured interviews which were conducted with the respondents who were least willing to accept learners with special educational needs. Contrary to the literature, the quantitative results of this study indicated that primary school teachers generally had positive attitudes towards mainstreaming learners with special educational needs. The qualitative analysis outcomes revealed that class size, a lack of skills, and the additional time and work which would be involved, were the most prominent concerns. Suggestions offered to overcome these reservations included decreased class sizes and in-service training. These findings were similar to those in the literature. This investigation was considered to be important as a policy of progressive mainstreaming is a currently debated proposal for the South African education crisis. The support of the ordinary classroom teachers would be vital for such educational reform to succeed. Although the quantitative results indicated a favourable response to mainstreaming, the data were gathered by means of questionnaires depicting a hypothetical situation, and some teachers may have supplied "politically correct" responses. Thus it was recommended that this finding be supported by further investigation.
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    Conceptions of burnout and motivation among primary and secondary school teachers in South Africa : a phenomenographic study of teacher perspectives.
    (2001) Konyana, Z E N; Green, Lena; Meyer, JHF
    The aims of this study were to explore the variation in the way primary and secondary school teachers in South Africa conceived the phenomena of burnout and motivation, using a phenomenographic research approach. The study also sought to explore the relationship among teachers’ conceptions of burnout and motivation. Accordingly, the following questions guided the research and at the same time provided structure to the thesis: l. What different conceptions of burnout exist among teachers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa? 2. What different conceptions of motivation exist among teachers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa? 3. What is the relationship between teachers’ conceptions of burnout and their conceptions of motivation? Theories of burnout and motivation relevant to the present study were reviewed and a relationship between burnout and motivation outlined, in order to serve as background materials against which to compare the findings from the actual data gathered. Research evidence in support of the theories was given. In particular, Maslach's theory of burnout, as well as the humanistic and cognitive approaches to motivation were used to serve as an initial basis to understand how other researchers have gone about studying the concepts of burnout and motivation. The purpose was to draw out of the literature some questions which would enable the present researcher to carry out interviews on burnout and motivation The study involved sixty teachers (twenty-seven males and thirty-three females) at primary and secondary school levels in rural and urban areas in the Transkei sub-region of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Teachers who gained their qualifications during the apartheid era and had been teaching before the new government took over in 1994 were selected. Purposive as well as snowball sampling methods were used to select participants. Data were collected using interview guides constructed by the researcher and validated by experts. The interview questions were formulated to elicit information about interviewees’ attitudes towards their job. Interviews were conducted with participants in their homes or at school, but during mutually arranged times The interviews were tape-recorded and later transcribed verbatim as is the custom with phenomenographic research. The transcripts were then subjected to rigorous phenomenographic analysis. In analysing transcript data, everything was read and taken into consideration within the context in which it was said. Analysis focused on identifying a small number of qualitatively different ways in which teachers understood and experienced the phenomena of burnout and motivation. The analysis consisted of studying the interview transcripts both individually and alongside one another, studying sets of extracts both in and out of their original contexts, seeking distinct similarities and differences. The teachers’ responses represented five and four conceptions of burnout and motivation, respectively. Overall, the respondents conceived burnout as: A. feelings of lack of job satisfaction B. feelings of loss of control C. feelings of helpless anger D. frustration related to the curriculum changes (OBE) E. feelings of physical and emotional exhaustion. In the case of motivation, the respondents conceived motivation as: A. feelings of intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction B. feelings of personal satisfaction and enjoyment from the work of teaching C. positive feelings about non-material rewards arising from the social environment D. expectation of financial rewards. Burnout and motivation were found to be closely, albeit, inversely related. It was recommended that further replication of this study be carried out in other systems and cultures - also involving younger and less experienced teachers, and that the present findings be used to develop inventories on burnout and motivation, as well as programs for professional development of teachers.
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    Conditions of learning for older learners in some previously disadvantaged schools in the Cape region : a qualitative exploration
    (2000) Hill, Margaret Anne; Baxen, Jean; Green, Lena
    This study explores the positioning of learners who are more than three years older than age•norms for their school grades in societal, institutional and situational levels of education discourse in SouthAfrica. A review of research literature, of samples of lay discourse and of policy documents reveals tensions between industrially derived assumptions and rights-based assumptions in education discourse at societal and institutional levels. These opposing assumptions are seen to simultaneously disadvantage older learners while appearing to hold out the promise of unconditional inclusion in schooling. A qualitative empirical study traces some of the effects of the tension in education discourse on learners at a situational level of education discourse, namely schooling. The conclusions of the study suggest that the resolution of the tension in accordance with rights-based assumptions would result in radical reconceptualising of schooling arrangements and learner assessment. Suggestions are proposed for a research agenda that the reconceptualising of schooling might generate.
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    Feuerstein's cognitive training curriculum : effects on the accounting skill proficiency of standard six students (Grade 8)
    (1996) Masilo, Veronica 'Machao; Green, Lena
    This study was conducted to address a concern about low performance among Accounting students. Researchers in Accounting Education such as Deleo and Letourneau (1994) and others point out that, many Accounting students have learning difficulties. Employers as well are concerned about the competence of Accounting graduates, Graham (1993). To remediate this problem, Accounting educators suggest that cognitive training should become an integral part of the Accounting curriculum in order to enhance students' learning, Weil (1990), Chalupa (1992). In this study Feuerstein's cognitive approach, Instrumental Enrichment (IE) was used. This approach was found suitable for this study because of its aim to enhance the learning processes of inefficient learners. The experimental group was exposed to selected Instrumental Enrichment exercises. Pretest and posttest measures of Accounting Achievement and Verbal Reasoning were administered to the experimental group and the control group, and the scores were compared. The assumption was that. the experimental groups would perform better than the control group on the criterion measures as a result of the exposure to IE.
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    The mainstreaming debate: a survey of parents' views in a special school for intellectually handicapped children in a disadvantaged context in the Western Cape
    (1997) Nyewe, Peter Khwezi; Green, Lena
    The main purpose of this study was to investigate the range of beliefs that a certain group of South African parents held about the appropriate educational placement of their children with mild to moderate intellectual handicaps. The sample consisted of 14 parents of children with mild to moderate intellectual handicaps attending at a special school for intellectually handicapped children in a disadvantaged context in the Western Cape. In line with the qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews with open elided questions were used to collect the data. Interviews were used rather than questionnaires because parents were illiterate and they felt more comfortable and confident with a personal interview and were able to use their own language. The data were analyzed according to Glaser and Strauss' Constant Comparative method as described by Maykut and Morehouse (1994). As has been found in other research studies, the parents in this study were not in principle against mainstreaming or inclusion of their children. Rather, they were at present not supportive of it as they perceive the conditions at the ordinary school to be unstable for their children. The qualitative analysis outcome revealed that parents were concerned about· teacher qualities, acceptance of their children by the ordinary school children and the ordinary school curriculum which they felt was only focusing on academic subjects. Parent involvement and inclusion are central concepts in the reconstruction of education in South Africa. Inclusion of intellectually handicapped learners is being considered by policy makers but it is not likely to be successful without parent support. This study is a small contribution to the debate.
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    A qualitative study of the needs of parents of handicapped pre-schoolers attending a special school
    (1993) Brümmer, Laetitia; Green, Lena
    This thesis is an assessment of the needs of parents and families of handicapped preschoolers attending a special school. The focus is on school related needs. An assessment of these needs could concentrate on child related needs or include needs relating to parent and family well-being. In chapter I this question is debated in light of literature on early intervention history and practice in the USA. The reciprocal interaction of handicap and family is seen to be important. This necessitates a family systems approach with a wider interpretation of family needs. In Chapter II background is given to the application of family systems theory to families with handicapped children. The importance of an ecosystemic viewpoint to special educational studies is explained and the role of support systems investigated. Theories pertaining to the processes of stress, coping and adaptation are introduced. The special contributions of authors such as Bronfenbrenner (1976 and 1977); Dunst (1985); Kazak (1987); McCubbin and Patterson (1983) and Turnbull and Turnbull (1986) are mentioned in this chapter. Chapters III and IV then give an overview of the rich literature pertaining to families with handicapped young children and their special needs.