George Chitiyo

An Assessment of the Evidence-Base for School-Wide Positive Behavior Support

The use of SWPBS has increased quite rapidly across schools. This is happening against a backdrop of enthusiasm among policymakers, researchers and practitioners about the use of evidence-based practices in school settings. As SWPBS continues to attract the interest of school personnel it is necessary to look at this approach and examine its evidence base. This study was an attempt to extend previous work to that effect. Like previous efforts, this study demonstrated that although SWPBS has become quite popular, the evidence base may still be classified as promising. Research on SWPBS has to address many methodological limitations to strengthen its evidence base.

Understanding the causes and management of problem behaviour in Zimbabwean schools: teacher perceptions

Problem behaviour continues to present a challenge for school-teachers worldwide. Since school-teachers around the globe have different conceptualisations of what constitutes problem behaviour, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Zimbabwean school-teachers about their perceived causes of problem behaviour among students in school, and how they usually deal with the problem behaviours. A Problem Behaviour Survey developed specifically for this study was administered to a convenience sample of 62 teachers enrolled in a part-time postgraduate diploma at a local university in Zimbabwe. Participants identified bullying, fighting, violence, fighting, truancy, drug/alcohol abuse and sexual immorality as the most prevalent problem behaviours in their schools. Results of this study also demonstrated that few teachers thought that physical punishment was an effective way to manage problem behaviour and that school-teachers should be allowed to use it. These findings were important in helping school-teachers and administrators to develop a better understanding of problem behaviour in their schools as a pre-requisite to the development of more effective behaviour management practices.

The Impact of the HIV/AIDS and Economic Crises on Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Zimbabwe.

AIDS. National estimates reported by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare put the prevalence rates of HIV in the age group between 15 and 49 at 15.3% (World Health Organization WHO], UNICEF, & UNAIDS, 2008). This is one of the highest HN/AIDS prevalence rates in the world (UNAIDS, 2008). The impact of the pandemic has been so severe that current mitigationefforts fall short of alleviating the situation, especially as it pertains to the plight of children. To date, the country has one of the highest numbers of children orphaned by AIDS (WHO, 2005; WHO, UNICEF, & UNAIDS, 2008). With the country currently experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian and economic crisis of epic proportions, these children suffer perhaps the worst impact of deprivation and poverty. This article examines how HIV/AIDS and the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe have affected the well-being and development of children in that country, especially in relation to education. and Economic Crises on Orphans and Other Vu I n e ra bl e C h i I d re n i n Z im ba bwe

Special education professional development needs in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Since 1980 when Zimbabwe obtained political independence, special education has not received the same priority as the entire education system. One of the manifestations of this discrepancy is the shortage of qualified special education teachers in the country. In order to address this trend and promote the development of special education, researchers have suggested the need for professional development in the area of special education. The purpose of this study was to identify the special education professional development needs of both special and general education in-service teachers in Zimbabwe. A semi-structured survey instrument, developed by the first and second authors, which included open- and closed-end questions was used in this study. The sample consisted of 204 schoolteachers drawn from two school districts of Zvishavane and Gwanda. The participating schoolteachers overwhelmingly expressed the need for more professional development in the area of special education. The schoolteachers also identified several topics that they considered to be important for professional development.

Post-traumatic stress disorder amongst children aged 8–18 affected by the 2011 northern-Namibia floods

Extreme flooding in the northern parts of Namibia occurred in 2011, impacting many school-going children in the region. The rationale for the current research is to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on school children as a result of the floods. A self-administered Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire (CTSQ) with closed-ended questions was administered to 480 children between the ages of eight and 18 years at their respective schools. The CTSQ consists of five items assessing re-experiencing and five items assessing hyper-arousal symptoms. The results show that 55.2% of learners aged 12 and below and 72.8% of learners aged 13 and above reported experiencing symptoms of trauma from the floods 2 years after the event. These percentages were quite high and are therefore a cause for concern. Given the magnitude of this problem, it is important for the government and other stakeholders to provide the necessary psychological and/or emotional support in the event of future floods or similar disasters.

HIV/AIDS and the Socio-emotional Development of Children in Southern Africa

Literature on the effects of HIV/AIDS on children has expanded considerably in recent years. The AIDS pandemic became rife in Sub-Saharan Africa in the early 1980s and has had negative impacts on different segments of the population. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the impacts of the pandemic on young children, particularly those aged eight and below, and identify interventions that have been shown to be efficacious in terms of the socio-emotional welfare of children. Implications for early childhood educators are also included.

Predictors of Social Relationships for Children with Special Health Care Needs

&NA; Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) experience various developmental challenges including difficulties in social relationships with peers. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs 2009–2010, this correlational study examined predictors of difficulty making and keeping friends among CSHCN. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Findings indicate statistical significance for 12 out of 14 predictor variables. Key findings indicate the odds of having difficulty making and keeping friends are 3.06 times higher for children with an autism spectrum diagnosis and 2.87 times higher for children with some behavior problem when compared to other CSHCN. Overall, the logistic regression model classified 80.7% of the cases correctly. A secondary analysis also identified factors which significantly differentiate between CSHCN who have a lot of difficulty compared to a little difficulty making and keeping friends. For this analysis, eight variables were statistically significant. Highlights:Children with special health care needs face challenges making and keeping friends.Twelve statistically significant predictor variables exist to assist health care practitioners implement more appropriate and sustainable interventions.Health care professionals informed by this research empower families to advocate for services.Partnering with families, health care professionals aid children with special health care needs make and keep friends.