3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Nurturing light and empowering minds : experiences of mentoring institutionalised children.(2010-08-20) Fraser, RobynThis research explored the experiences of mentors mentoring institutionalised children under the auspices of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Africa (BBBSSA). Children who become wards of the state and are placed in Children’s Homes may have had a number of their emotional needs unmet during developmental stages, manifesting in a variety of ways not least of which might be the development of an institutionalised mentality. These children are disadvantaged at age 18 when they enter the world with limited resources, infrastructure or the ability to be self-reliant. Mentoring may represent a means of ameliorating these repercussions and this qualitative research included exploring whether mentors engaged in any strategies to empower their protégé to reduce the effects of an institutionalised mentality, the successes achieved through the mentoring process as well as encountered challenges. The sample was purposively chosen and the seven participants had mentored for longer than a year at a Children’s Home. The data was gathered from them via semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed in light of the research questions, research tool and any subsequent themes that emerged. Mentoring through a programme appeared to enhance relationship longevity because of the structure it created. While growing themselves through the process, mentors reflected that preparing their protégé for adulthood was a concern. The mentors discussed that while not familiar with the concept of an institutionalised mentality per se, they recognised this as a challenge their protégés faced and described their attempts to empower them on mental, emotional and physical levels reporting small successes in often challenging circumstances. The study concludes that mentoring programmes offer a valuable tool in the preparation of institutionalised children for their emancipation from State care and should be capitalised on. Recommendations are made for policy makers, BBBSSA and the Children’s Home in light of these experiences.Item The impact of a peer-mentoring programme on English reading proficiency of second language grade 9 learners.(2009-01-09T06:01:24Z) Karolia, Bibi AyeshaSince South Africa’s democratic government was elected to power in 1994, much attention has been given to restructuring the country’s education system. Peer-mentoring is one approach to meet current challenges in education given high teacher:learner ratios, greater diversity in student population and majority of learners being taught in English, their second and even third language. This research examined the impact of a peermentoring reading intervention with second language Grade 9 learners. The study utilized a sample of Grade 9 learners (N = 173) from a school in Gauteng. Biographical information was obtained and these learners were pre-tested in Grade 8 and post-tested in Grade 9 2007, using the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT). The entire Grade 9 group received the reading intervention for three months and their results were compared to a comparison group from the previous year who received no intervention. Results of learners’ vocabulary, comprehension and academic achievement scores were compared. Although both the comparison and the experimental groups showed an improvement on their vocabulary and comprehension scores, the experimental group’s gains were significantly higher. Of the Grade 9 experimental group, 30 learners (mentees) received individual paired reading mentoring and their scores were examined to determine the extent of improvement. The mentees group showed similar significant gains in their vocabulary and comprehension scores, and showed an overall improvement in their academic marks. Challenges faced, limitations and recommendations for future study are discussed.