Browsing by Author "Heyns, I de V"

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    The development of the self concept scale for the hearing impaired
    (1988) Oblowitz, Neil Graham; Heyns, I de V
    The self concept is a critical variable in the overall development and functioning of hearing impaired pupils, yet the findings of research studies indicate that pupils may have difficulty forming a realistic, positive self concept. The consequences of the hearing loss appear to contribute to lowered self-esteem. The accumulated effect of unresolved psychosocial developmental stages may increase the probability of identity confusion in adolescence. The results of research on the self concept of the hearing impaired has been inconclusive and difficult to interpret partly due to the use of inappropriate self concept scales. There is a need for a relevant test which assesses pupils' strengths and weaknesses in dimensions of the self concept. In this dissertation, the 'Self Concept Scale for the Hearing Impaired' (SSHI) is developed with the purpose of designing an appropriate self concept scale specifically for use on hearing impaired pupils between the ages of 11 and 19 years. During the construction and administration of the SSHI, an attempt was made to control for confounding variables known to influence responses of pupils and to distort scores obtained. The SSHI was constructed primarily according to the homogenous-keying approach. Test-retest reliability coefficients were computed over a 4 to 5 week period for 198 pupils in three schools for the hearing impaired in the Western Cape.
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    An experiment in the prediction of achievement in Senior Certificate higher grade mathematics
    (1986) Johnston, June Elizabeth; Heyns, I de V
    This study seeks to determine the nature of the intellectual demands of the Higher Grade course in Mathematics with a view to early, more accurate prediction of individual pupil success in this course. The need for such early prediction is clearly indicated by the interest shown on the part of parents and pupils alike during the Standard Seven year where the realisation exists that Matriculation Mathematics is a subject sometimes found to be "overwhelmingly difficult". The "drop out" figure from the Higher Grade course to the Standard Grade course in most schools further demonstrates the need for more careful selection at the Standard Seven level. Both old (1973) and new (1984) syllabuses are analysed to determine the nature of the content and the intellectual level at which this should be taught. In addition, a series of past Cape Senior Certificate examination papers are investigated to reveal information about the nature and level of examining. Mental processes involved in the examination items are classified and the general composition of the examination papers is discussed. A test device suitable for Standard Seven pupils is developed on the basis of the composition of the Higher Grade Matriculation examination papers analysed. The object of this test is to provide that early indication to pupils of their ability to cope with the level of mental process required by the Higher Grade course in Mathematics. The investigation describes the construction, administration and further development of the test device and, furthermore, seeks to show its predictive validity for the Matriculation examination in Mathematics by comparing test results with successive school examination results over a three year period. The possibility of sex differences in Mathematics achievement and prediction are also investigated on the basis of the results obtained during the course of this experiment. General conclusions are drawn, the difficulties encountered are discussed and some suggestions for further research are offered.
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    An investigation into the sources of sexual information amongst the pupils in standards 9 and 10 in a co-educational high school in Cape Town
    (1989) Kagan, Jeffrey; Heyns, I de V
    An investigation into the actual and preferred sources of sexual information among male and female adolescents in standards 9 and 10 at a private school was undertaken. A review and theoretical consideration of the sources of sexual information among pre-adolescents, adolescents and tertiary students in the Western world during the past seven decades is provided. The sample of 260 pupils completed a four-part questionnaire, which is based on questionnaires used by Davis and Harris (1982), Gebhard (1977), Kallen, Stephenson and Doughty (1983), Spanier (1977) and Thornburg (1970, 1972, 1975, 1981a, 1981b, 1985). Results are quantitative in nature, and are treated predominantly descriptively. Comparisons of the findings are made with regard to previous research of a similar nature. The investigation found that, as a source of information, books/magazines/ pamphlets is the most important one. The other relatively important sources, in order of importance, are mothers, same-sex peers, television/ movies and school programmes. The major source for the 126 males is books/magazines/pamphlets, and their other relatively important sources are same-sex peers, television/movies, mothers and school programmes. For the 134 females, mothers are the most important source, while books/ magazines/pamphlets, same-sex peers, school programmes and television/ movies are also regarded as relatively important by them. Furthermore, it was found that information pertaining to most behaviour-related sexual topics is acquired primarily by these pupils from same-sex peers, information regarding non-behaviour-related topics is acquired primarily from mothers, and books/magazines/pamphlets is the major source for so-called "controversial" sexual topics. The investigation also revealed that mothers are the most preferred source of information for the participants, with books/magazines/pamphlets, school programmes, fathers and same-sex peers being the other sources preferred to a relatively important degree by them. When the sources of males and females are viewed separately, mothers are found to be the most preferred source for both sexes. Furthermore, for 9 of the 12 sexual topics investigated, mothers are found to be the most preferred source, and same-sex peers are found to be the most preferred source for the other three topics. These findings are discussed and compared, implications and limitations of the study are considered, and suggestions for further research, as well as some conclusions, are made.
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    Strategic approach to psychotherapeutic intervention with male institutionalized white adolescents to control absconding
    (1988) Hoar, Robyn; Heyns, I de V
    Using a systems theoretical orientation the objective of this study was to implement a strategic approach for psychotherapeutic intervention with six male institutionalized white adolescents at a local custodial school. It was hypothesized that a strategic approach would control absconding for the duration of the investigation. Surveys of the literature were undertaken to provide the background to psychotherapeutic intervention with adolescents in custodial institutions, strategic psychotherapy and absconding. Absconding was selected as the condition for evaluating the interventions because it was an unambiguous indicator of school-based recidivism, viz., the adolescent was either on the property or he was not. The study was structured as a design-and-demonstrate investigation. Audiotape recordings were made during the sessions. Transcriptions of characteristic procedures and sequences of the strategic approach to psychotherapeutic intervention were presented, inter alia, paradoxes, reframing, metaphors, rituals, the declaration of therapeutic impotence. Evaluation of the interventions was based on follow-up interviews with the subjects and a qualitative analysis of risk of absconding aver the course of the intervention process. At the end of the investigation there was some evidence which suggested that five out of the six subjects were not as committed to absconding as they had claimed to be at the beginning of the study. The design of the study did not allow for the conclusion that the strategic approach for controlling absconding was of greater merit than any other form of intervention or no intervention at all. It was noted, however, that twelve of the eighteen potential subjects for the study indicated that they would abscond as soon as the opportunity arose. Therefore it was recommended that the issue of absconding be given priority in therapy on the admission of each new pupil. Given a strategic approach to addressing the issue of absconding in therapy, attention was drawn to a major aim of this type of intervention, viz., to generate a sense of personal autonomy. Hence a further recommendation was that once a pupil had made a commitment not to abscond, his sense of autonomy would need to be supported by an expeditious transfer to one of the more open hostels.