The impact of a board game as parent guidance strategy to reinforce Cognitive Control Therapy in the home environment

In this study the impact of a board game as parent guidance strategy to reinforce Cognitive Control Therapy (CCT) in the home environment of a child with ADHD was explored. The influence of such a board game, based on the principles of CCT, on multiple contexts of the child’s existence - therapeutic and family contexts - was also investigated. There were two reasons for involving the parents in therapy. Firstly, children with an attention problem are situated within contexts and the effect of ADHD can permeate to the home and school environments. Secondly, for Cognitive Control Therapy (CCT) to be successful, it needs to be sustained by frequent repetition. It was hypothesized that sustainability of the effect of CCT should rise substantially after introduction of the board game, as the child and the parent can reinforce the principles of CCT by using it, even without being able to attend a session. The board game was designed by using the principles for game development as articulated by Dodge. A case study was then conducted by using a mixed methods approach, where quantitative and qualitative data were obtained. Data collection strategies consisted of quantitative methods in the form of the Cognitive Control battery (pre and post test), and the Copeland Symptoms checklist. Qualitative strategies included parental feedback, qualitative data during therapy sessions (observations and therapeutic notes) and a semi-structured interview with the mother. Data was collected before, after and during the intervention. The intervention consisted of individual therapy with the participant, parent guidance and parallel implementation of the designed board game by the parents with the child-participant. The quantitative data (from the CCB and the Copeland Symptoms Checklist) from the post test indicated that sensitivity towards distractions remains a concern, and that parental implementation of a board game (incorporating elements of CCT) with a child can possibly have a slightly negative effect on cognitive control functioning. However, the scope of this case study does not allow direct correlations to be drawn between the parental input and the child’s cognitive control functioning. It does point to the possibility of heeding caution when implementing a board game to reinforce CCT principles by a parent. Conversely, the findings from the study also indicated that family relations improved. Five qualitative insights emerged: i) increased ability to distinguish between relevant versus irrelevant information in the participant; ii) increase in organizational thought in the therapeutic situation and at home; iii) improved communication between parent and child, resulting in improved skills to maintain discipline; iv) improved interaction among family members; and v) transfer of skills to the mother. The study found that the greatest contribution of the board game appears to be the improvement experienced in the family context – probably as a result of increased interaction among family members and attention focused on the problem.Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Educational PsychologyMEdunrestricte

Student Success at the University of Pretoria, 2009-2019: A Systemic, Intentional and Data-Informed Strategy

Preface: In essence, the publication provides an exposé of the evolution of an increasingly complex and comprehensive student success strategy developed by a South African university (viz the University of Pretoria). The problem facing the University in 2009 was common across the higher education sector in South Africa: the phenomenon of student success. This publication is a case study or series of case studies of how the University of Pretoria intentionally integrated its student support and development programmes between 2009 and 2019, and how it innovated and improved the holistic programme over the decade. The outcome was a gradual increase in the student success rate as measured by both module pass percentage (defined as the number of students who passed v the number who enrolled for the module) and minimum time to completion of individual cohorts (‘cohort’ defined as a group of first-time entering students followed through to graduation). The chapter reflects on contextualised approaches to student success initiatives that are similar to those found at other institutions, nationally and internationally. Using case studies shows how initiatives develop over time within a unique context, as well as challenges and successes. This publication has both a descriptive and exploratory approach in its case studies. Existing but siloed initiatives within the University were uncovered, interrogated, improved and integrated into a broader programme between 2009 and 2019. The cases might provide some insights into the phenomenon of student success that other South African institutions could contextualise

Race, class and the equity dilemma : examining the usefulness of a biographical questionnaire in identifying Resilient-Agency (R-A) to supplement admission criteria into the University of Pretoria

The dilemma of accounting for race, class and equity in admission to university education is not a new one. And yet it remains a heated debate and an unsolved problem to this day. The grey areas surrounding this dilemma far outweigh the proverbial black and white. This study argues that the equity dilemma may have much to do with the way access is granted into university and aimed to offer actionable alternatives to the debate surrounding the equity dilemma: should access be granted – in attempt to redress past inequalities - on the basis of race or class? By focusing on race and/or class, we may misread the underlying signals of agency and resilience in students who work against disadvantage, even at times thrive in the face thereof, and transcend (or has the potential to transcend) all of these imposed restrictions and obstacles. In the field of education, the figure of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu looms large, and for this reason, amongst others, I mainly draw on his ideas to expand on how I came to understand this interplay between educational disadvantage as structure and the ability of some students to succeed, as agency. Yet, I did not find sociological notions of agency completely satisfactory in my attempts to understand why some students excel despite challenges and hence attempted to enrich the sociological notion of agency with a complimentary focus on the psychological concept of resilience. Consequently, my argument was that if resilience and agency is demonstrated by a student and can be perceived, it must be possible to assess it and to determine, before allowing a student access to university whether he/she is in possession of such traits. This was to be done by examining a biographical questionnaire (BQ) for its usefulness in identifying resilient-agency (R-A) and then, if it is found to be useful, implement such a BQ to augment placement at the University of Pretoria. The BQ was administered to two cohorts of students in 2012 (n=118) and 2013 (n=229) respectively. The data from the BQ was used to identify interview participants and interviews were consequently conducted with seven participants. A narrative analysis was done on the qualitative and quantitative data whereby the data was restoried into narratives. With the permission of the Registrar, the first-year marks of the students were added and organised into the narratives. A thematic analysis of the narrative was done and elucidated through the inclusion of the theoretical framework underpinning this study. Various questions arose in grappling with the positioning of the concepts resilience and agency in this study and specifically into the narratives. In wresting with them, a shift in my own theoretical understanding of these two concepts led to the investigation of a possible amalgamation of the two terms. As a result, a new conceptual language is introduced that builds on resilience and agency. The contribution of this study is found in the identification and discussion of the potential indicators for resilient-agency (R-A) as identified from the narratives presented and positioning them in such a way that they inform the future development of the BQ into an instrument that has the potential to identify R-A and therefore augment the process of university admissions and effectively address the equity dilemma.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018.SociologyPhDUnrestricte