The assessment of the impact of desegregated schooling on young children, utilizing their drawings

This study concerns the assessment of the racial awareness and attitudes (intra- and interpersonal) of a small group of Sub A children in a recently racially desegregated school in Cape Town in 1991. This issue was seen to be of importance in South Africa because of changes within the educational sector whereby many schools were in the process of becoming racially desegregated. A case study design and methodology was used in both the pilot and main studies. Three drawings together with collateral information were obtained from each of the twenty-five children. The measurement instruments used were the Human Figure Drawing (HFD), the Kinetic School Drawing (KSD) and an instrument which was devised by the researcher during the pilot study, namely the Peer Group Drawing. Data analysis involved each drawing being analysed separately according to the analysis systems of Klepsch and Logie (1982), and Koppitz (1968), and further informed by Burns (1982) and Furth (1988). Within subject comparisons were undertaken which resulted in the data being clustered into four groups. The grouped data was then analysed and interpreted in terms of the aim of the study. Findings generally concurred with the literature: the children were found to be racially aware and held definite racial attitudes, and these were related to socio-cognitive and affective development. More than half of the subjects were found to be experiencing difficulties which in some cases could be clearly linked to adjusting to classroom desegregation. A central recommendation was for active mediation by educators and psychologists in the process of transition from desegregation to integration.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

School of Education

Year dc:date.issued

1991

Author dc:creator

• Cowley, Brenda Barbara

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Van der Hoorn, Svea

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17077

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17077