South Africa's Adolescents in a Wired World

New technology, like the internet and cellphones, play a significant role in adolescents' lives today, and this role is rapidly growing, transforming adolescents' everyday lives in profound ways. Adolescents all over the world use new technology and their numbers are still rising. Some adolescents, particularly in South Africa, have, however, hardly been touched by new technology. This could be ascribed to a lack of interest, understanding or opportunity. It is important to understand the digital divide in South Africa before one can begin to understand the role of interactive media (e.g. computers, video games, educational software, the internet and cellphones) in adolescents' lives. The article provides a review and theoretical background of matters such as how many adolescents have access to the internet, where they are likely to get it, and what effects exposure to digital media have. The research was conducted with the objective to investigate the relationship between the digital divide and digital technologies (including the internet and cellphones) and their use by South African adolescents. The article also attempts to investigate the extent to which South African adolescents engage in online activities that can involve risks, awareness of (parents and secondary schools) and competencies to address the challenges adolescents face online. The method used in this study was content analysis of previously published material, and evaluation of this material provides an understanding of the progress of research in clarifying the current problem of digital divide. An historical overview is relevant to consider in implementing programmes in digital and media literacy. Findings indicate that new forms of digital media are well positioned to play a constructive role in advancing powerful solutions to national educational challenges. Schools must determine what they want learners to experience and learn from their use of new technology so that they are empowered to take control of this powerful new tool in their lives. This article highlights the need for digital media literacy programmes in South African schools that adequately prepare learners for the complex and dynamic life of the 21st century

Editorial: Adjustment of Learners' Violent Behaviour in a School Context

Editoria

Experiences of Vulnerable Children in a South African Public Child and Youth Care Centre

The article reflects on community engagement as an excellent method to build upon researchers’ cumulative knowledge in a specific discipline and to demonstrate the integration of that knowledge with real-life issues. This is followed by a literature review that examines complex life situations of the interaction between parenting and child abuse, specifically between structures and child welfare systems, that capture the lines between circumstances and individual action. A phenomenological approach is adopted of descriptive qualitative nature regarding the perception of the psychosocial well-being of vulnerable children in a child and youth care centre in Tshwane, South Africa. Findings point to the nature and extent of violence against children in South Africa. As this article does not cover the complete field of the welfare system, the aim is to foster a greater understanding of this system, which might lead to better and more research on vulnerable children after being placed in a child and youth care centre. Explanations offered include legislation and coordination mechanisms, including the associated gaps and challenges

An Exploratory Study on How Democratic School Management Practices Affect the Dynamics of Violence in Schools

The goal of teachers, schools and support staff is the optimal development of learners. This goal depends on effective school management, which in turn depends on an adequate curriculum and supporting teaching and learning environments. This paper is focused through a literature review on the dynamics of violence in South African schools and the need for democratic school management. The necessity of emotional intelligence teaching in the classroom and learner-centred teaching is shown. This study also investigated the coordinated and integrated management of positive learner behaviour, whole school development and management of a culture of positive behaviour. The establishment of a safe school depends on the management's interaction with the larger social and organisational context in which they find themselves. The study concludes that there is a correlation between Emotional Intelligence teaching methods and learners' behaviour. The use of Emotional Intelligence in the classroom can be regarded as the corrective aspect of discipline, thus, preventing inappropriate behaviour of learners. Recommendations and guidelines for the use of effective adjusted and alternative teaching methods to support school management in the use of emotional skills in the school context are provided

Examining the Relationship between Selfies, Adolescents and Archetypes: The Psychology of Taking Selfies and their Consequences on the Adolescent Self-Conscious

This study explores the attitudes of adolescents in South Africa towards selfie-taking as well as the effects that the selfie has on the consciousness of their shadow. The aim is to contribute to understanding the current impact of this phenomenon on adolescents. Social media, through the use of selfies, can encourage self-promotion and create an obsession with one’s physical appearance. Adolescents mostly shape their self-concepts based on their understanding of how others view them. The informants comprised 58 learners from three secondary schools in Tshwane (Gauteng). The data collection methods used were semistructured interviews and observation methods. This research study resonates with the looking-glass-self perspective, which highlights the importance of the evaluation of others to the development of the self-conscious. Technology constantly evolves and grows, a theoretical implication of which is the need to continue exploring selfies as a means for the search of identity. Regardless, in raising the question of what selfies, adolescents, and archetypes have in common, this article succeeds in bringing together this rather recent concept, the area of scientific enquiry related to selfies, and a psychological construct coined by the founder of analytical psychology, Jung, that is so well established in the sciences and steeped in thoughts of wisdom that it has stood the test of time. In doing so, the article taps into not only developmental psychology but also social psychology and sociology, the study of human social relationships. Keywords: Selfies, adolescents, personal shadow, archetypal identity, self-conscious, collective unconscious

An exploratory study on new technology and associated psychosocial risks in adolescents : can digital media literacy programmes make a difference

This study centres on the psychological effects new digital media, like the internet and cellphones, have on adolescents. Although the internet has enormous benefits, it also poses a host of risks that can make adolescents vulnerable to victimisation and/or developing associated psychosocial problems. Characterisations of adolescents’ social relationships in the internet medium, as well as the investigation of the continuity between digital media literacy and online social behaviours, carry high relevance for developmental psychology. It is during the adolescent period that peer interactions arguably hold the greatest importance for individuals’ social and behavioural functioning. Using a logic model for evaluation, the researcher conducted an exploratory research study on digital media use among adolescent learners aged 13 to 15 years to determine whether schools could guide them to think critically for themselves about the entire realm of these new media. The data were gathered from school principals, teachers, parents and learners from three secondary schools in Gauteng Province, which were purposely selected to represent different socio-economic circumstances. A total of 230 people (n=230) participated in the research. Mixed research methods were employed in this study. The quantitative research methods supported the qualitative research methods. The literature review suggested that current media literacy education, which forms part of the Life Orientation curriculum, does not enable learners to think critically or make informed choices about their behaviour in the digital world – because it incorporates neither ethics nor responsibility. One of the main aims of the study therefore was to investigate the importance of expanding existing media literacy education, namely by incorporating two additional learning categories in the curriculum: Digital Safety and Security, and Digital Citizenship. These additional learning categories were introduced in the form of lessons by the teachers participating in the study. A think aloud strategy was used whereby learners verbalise what they were doing and learning while engaging in the digital media literacy lesson activities. The learners’ verbalisations were used to ascertain what learning was occurring in the classroom. The experimental group demonstrated an increase in critical thinking from pre- to post-evaluation. This research therefore proposes that the signature element of intervention strategies for inappropriate online behaviour be to create a “culture of critical thinking”. This implies greatly reducing the risks cyberspace pose, and at the same time enhancing adolescents’ abilities to use it in ways that create and deepen healthy relationships – in the digital as well as the real world.PsychologyD. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology

’n Skoolgebaseerde sosiaal-emosionele program as strategie teen misdaad en geweld

Die doel van hierdie studie is om die verband tussen Emosionele Intelligensie (EI) in die klaskamer en leerders se gedrag te bepaal. In die proses word daar ook riglyne geformuleer vir die basiese stappe om EI in die klaskamer in te span. Sodoende kan die probleem van geweld en die uitdagings van sosiaal-emosionele intervensies in skole meer suksesvol aangespreek word tot voordeel van al die betrokkenes in die skoolkonteks sowel as die samelewing in die geheel. In hierdie studie word kwalitatiewe navorsing as hoofnavorsingsmetode gebruik om die impak van EI in die klaskamer op leerders se gedrag te identifiseer. Daar word gebruik gemaak van deelnemende-aksie-navorsing, wat binne ’n kritiese paradigma uitgevoer word. Onderwysers, skole en ondersteuningspersoneel se einddoel is die optimale ontwikkeling van leerders. Hierdie doel is afhanklik van doeltreffende skoolbestuur, wat weer afhanklik is van ’n toereikende kurrikulum en ondersteunende onderrig- en leeromgewings. Hierdie navorsing het dan ook gekyk hoe suksesvol EI-onderrigstrategieë in die voorkoming van dissiplineprobleme kan wees. Die gebruik van EI in die klaskamer kan as voorkomende dissipline gesien word. Hierdie navorsing toon onteenseglik dat EI die kernelement van ’n sosiaalemosionele skool-intervensieprogram program moet wees. Positiewe dissipline, demokratiese skoolbestuur en ondersteuning-strukture is ook tydens die studie geïdentifiseer as elemente wat in ’n sosiaal-emosionele intervensieprogram teenwoordig behoort te wees.College of Human Science

A school-based socio-emotional programme as strategy against crime and violence

Misdaad en geweld is ’n ernstige probleem in Suid-Afrikaanse skole. Die studie waarop hierdie artikel gebaseer is, het gepoog om te bepaal watter elemente ’n sosiaal-emosionele intervensieprogram by ’n skool behoort te bevat om die voorkoming van geweld en misdaad in die skool te verseker. Met die vertrekpunt dat emosionele-intelligensie-onderrigmetodes in die klaskamer van groot waarde kan wees wat geweld-intervensies by skole betref, het die studie dit ten doel gehad om vas te stel of emosionele vaardighede in die komplekse atmosfeer van ’n skool aangeleer kan word. Die rol van onderwysers in die ontwikkeling van emosionele intelligensie by leerders is ook ondersoek. ’n Skoolgebaseerde sosiaal-emosionele intervensieprogram as strategie teen geweld is op die beginsel gebaseer dat onderrig bewustheid kan verander, dat kennis en onderrigmetodes prososiale gedrag kan bevorder, en dat dit leerders kan bemagtig. Die basiese aanname van ’n skoolgebaseerde geweld-intervensieprogram is dat, indien geweld aangeleer is, dit weer afgeleer kan word en leerders alternatiewe kan kies wat nie geweld insluit nie. Benewens kognitiewe en emosionele rypheid moet adolessente ook sosiale rypheid bereik. ’n Adolessent-gesentreerde onderrigbenadering sal adolessente se vermoë om ’n sosiaalaanvaarbare lewensfi losofi e te ontwikkel, bevorder. Adolessentleer word bevorder wanneer individuele verskille erken, gerespekteer en geakkommodeer word; wanneer die leerders gemotiveer word deur uitdaging, relevansie, keuse, en ’n gevoel van suksesbereiking, en wanneer hulle gemaklik voel om hulleself uit te druk, skeppend, ondersoekend en eksperimenterend te wees, risiko’s te neem en foute te maak.College of Human Science