Faculty of Humanities (ETDs)
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37922
For queries relating to content and technical issues, please contact IR specialists via this email address : openscholarship.library@wits.ac.za, Tel: 011 717 4652 or 011 717 1954
Browse
Search Results
Item Educational psychologists’ perspectives on the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children in the South African context(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ally, Nazrana; Israel, NickyThis qualitative study aimed to explore a sample of South African registered educational psychologists’ perspectives on and experiences with the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children in the South African context, including their awareness of available treatments, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, decision-making processes, level of involvement in treatment stages, and their roles in relation to other professionals. Additionally, it examined the psychologists’ perceptions of the challenges faced by ASD children and their parents in accessing treatment in South Africa, the common strategies they employed, and the difficulties they encountered when treating ASD children. An interpretive approach was used, employing semi-structured interviews conducted in English with eight South African registered educational psychologists specializing in ASD. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, informed by a self-reflexive journal to maintain awareness of potential biases. The findings highlighted the scarcity of educational psychologists in South Africa engaged in ASD cases, limited specialized ASD training, and a paucity of resources available in South Africa which encouraged participants to seek resources internationally. Participants emphasized the importance of evidence-based, individualized interventions tailored to each child's context. They also emphasized that diverse approaches were crucial for meeting the individual needs of both the child and the family. They raised concerns about applied behaviour analysis (ABA), citing its potential limitations in fostering flexibility and promoting rote learning. They recommended modifying cognitive-behavioural methods to suit specific contexts and moving away from clinical environments to foster creativity and resourcefulness. 4 Participants were actively involved in diagnosis and assessment, highlighting the importance of exposing educational psychology students to various ASD-specific assessments and emphasizing the need for addressing training gaps and cost barriers for accessing assessment tools. Educating stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and other professionals, was deemed essential for creating a supportive and informed environment for children with ASD. Significant challenges identified included limited ASD-specific training, a lack of support and awareness, long waiting periods for diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and stigmas associated with ASD. Addressing these challenges requires grassroots training initiatives and collaborative efforts among families, professionals, and policymakers to ensure quality care and support for individuals with ASD.Item Teachers’ choice of examples and talk in mediating the chosen examples in Grade 8 multilingual classrooms(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kate, Sehowa Mmatsela; Essien, Anthony A.Examples that teachers of mathematics choose to relay the mathematical narrative to their learners plays a crucial role in the kind of mathematics that learners then have access to (or not). Furthermore, how the teachers bring the chosen examples to life through classroom talk, which aims to mediate the chosen examples is what determines what learners truly learn. Data in the study was collected through consecutive video recordings of lessons during which linear and exponential equations were covered from start to finish and post-lesson interviews with the two teachers. In this study, I have used Essien’s (2021b) Dyadic framework to analyse the findings. One of the interesting findings in the study is that although the two teachers involved teach in the same school, they teach differently, for example, one teacher used talk to mediate the examples through code-switching (to Sesotho and IsiXhosa), while the other teacher strictly used the LoLT (English). Additionally, both teachers allowed their learners to write corrections on the board, which then allowed teachers to conceptualise their learners’ lived object of learning (and whether or not it aligns with the intended object of learning). Through the work learners wrote on the board, teachers were then able to invite mathematical discussions (with the whole class). One other interesting finding is that the teachers dominantly accepted learners’ choral responses which limited prospects for meaningful discussions, which led to missed opportunities for further learning.Item The Provision of School Social Work Intervention Services: A Case Study of Schools in Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Smith, Lerelle Keshia; Nathane-Taulela, MotlalepuleSchool Social Work has been practised for decades in countries such as the United States of America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, in South Africa although social work is widely practised, not many of these professionals are placed in schools. School social work intervention is described as the first experience of psychological support that most children receive. However, many schools in South Africa are without access to school social workers. Hence, they rely on one regional social worker who services multiple schools. Wealthy schools have access to multiple professionals such as educational psychologists and social workers, to provide learner support. The use of non-probability purposeful sampling was applied in this qualitative study, 10 social workers, who were placed in: public schools, governing-body schools, and private schools, which represent different socio-economic communities in Johannesburg. Data were collected through interviews and the use of a semi-structured interview schedule and thematic coding was utilised for data analysis. Findings reveal the complex and ununified state of school social work They also shed light that there is a need to train more school social workers, especially those rendering services to learners with special needs. Additionally, there is a need for more resources, and staff to be made available, especially in public schools totally dependent on the government for funding to ensure the provision of high-quality school social work services. The main findings also indicate that many school learners occasionally experience some form of psychosocial challenges, which requires support from a social worker. However, many schools’ social workers are inundated with high caseloads. Therefore, the study concludes that there is a need for more school social work services. This is because many children in public-schools are more disadvantaged due to inaccessibility of school social workers. Thus, the burden is placed on teachers to teach while they also identify learners’ need and support them