Die realisering van verstandspotensiaal by die kind in die junior sekondêre skoolfase

Abstract

1. THE AIM AND MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to determine with what measure of success pupils in the junior secondary school phase achieve to their full potential. Secondly a study was made of academic achievement prediction. Steps were taken to determine with which variables and with what measure of success the academic achievement of pupils in the junior secondary school phase can be predicted in different subjects. To achieve this aim the contribution of the cognitive, non-cognitive and biographical variables in the prediction of academic achievement in standard 5, 6 and 7 was investigated. The separate contributions of these variables in the prediction of scholastic achievement were also taken into consideration. The cognitive variables in the analyses were the IQ (non-verbal, verbal and total and the Junior Aptitude Tests. The non-cognitive variables include the KODUS Interest Questionnaire while the biographical variables include the residential area and socio-economic circumstances. According to available literature it is clear that cognitive, non-cognitive and biographical variables play a very important part in academic achievement. The pupil in the junior secondary school phase is in the period of puberty and adolescence. The early adolescence as developmental phase was viewed as described in appropriate literature. The concept early adolescence, the developmental tasks during adolescence, identification, the peer group and the cognitive development of the adolescent were discussed. The factors that affect academic achievement during adolescence were discussed. Under cognitive factors attention was given to intelligence, aptitude, ability and scholastic achievement. Personality, psychological and physical factors were discussed under non-cognitive factors while attention was also given to milieu factors. 2. THE RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF THE EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION: According to the correlation coefficients of Pearson there is a significant correlation between the independent variables and the dependent variables (scholastic achievement) in the junior secondary school phase. A high level of significance was identified between the IQ (non-verbal, verbal and total) and all the dependent variables. A high correlation was a I so found between the Junior Aptitude Tests and most of the dependent variables. A remarkable correlation was found between the KODUS Interest Questionnaire and Figures, Writing, Reading, Art, Handwork, Machinery and Science, while the SED Questionnaire proved high in correlation with Afrikaans, English, Mathematics, Science, Biology, History, Geography, Accountancy, Business Economics and Domestic Science in standard 6 and 7, and History, Geography, Science and Basic Techniques in standard 5. Tables were compiled to indicate the number of under-achievers and over-achievers as well as the number of pupils who achieve according to their potential. An important aim was to identify those variables that predict the academic achievements of pupils in the junior secondary school phase best. To do this the technique of multiple regression analysis was applied. The subsets which include the cognitive, non-cognitive and biographical variables were the best predictors. 3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: According to the study the cognitive variables played the most important part. In all cases these variables contributed best to R2. It is clear that the best contribution to all subjects was the verbal intelligence, except in Mathematics where the tot a IQ contributed most. The most important conclusion made on the basis of the empirical research is that the academic achievement of pupils in the junior secondary school phase can be predicted with a fair amount of success when using the inclusive variables. The realisation of intellectual potential is a very important phenomenon in any period of school life. Practical recommendations have been made with regard to the use of the research results for guidance purposes, and with a view to the manipulation of variables for the improvement of academic achievement.