Abstract
D.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
There is a growing consciousness of the importance of productivity improvement in the Republic of South Africa as a solution to economic problems like poverty, unemployment and. the growing inflation rate. The problem has grown to such
proportions that the organizing committee of the President's Council recommended in May 1987 that the school has to play an important role in the education of children to become productive workers. A solution to the problem of the lack of growth in productivity which has not as yet received the necessary attention, is the role time plays in the economy. It is especially people's perception of time and the accompanying attitudes towards the utilization of time that is important. In this regard education and guidance-can play an important role, as this aspect has rightly to do with the creating of children's perceptions and attitudes. To date, little research results are available on the time perception of individuals. Empirical data where the relationship between time perception and productiveness is explored is not readily available in present literature. Research was therefore undertaken on the time perception of children and adults A newly designed questionnaire was used for this purpose. The questionnaire was completed by 6 840 pupils, 253 teachers and 297 bank officials. Concerning validity and reliability, a principal component factor analysis (PCA) was followed by a principal factor analysis (PFA) in a first order analysis. The first order analysis was followed by a second order PCA and PFA. The variables resultinq from this factor analysis procedure were then subjected to an item analysis. The identified variables, i.e. passive fatalistic and Actiye integrated time perception were used to investigate the difference in time perception of the different groups. There upon a study was made of the relationship between the time perceptions of pupil and their productiveness, based on the
children's school performance. Similarly the time perceptions of adults were studied in relationship to their productiveness as measured by the performance evaluation as done in their occupational situation. Multivariate (MANOVA & Hote~ling's Tsquare),
as well as univariate (ANOVA, Scheff6 and Student test) hypotheses on population group, sex, standard, qualification, age, language and religion were tested. significance was tested on the l' and 5' level. From the findings of the study the following emerged:
* A general tendency exists that prod~ptive pupils, bank officials and teachers, have a higher average scale value on active integrated time perception in comparison to less
productive people. On the other hand, less productive people have a higher scale value on the passive fatalistic -e time perception in comparison to productive people
* Significant differences exist between the average scale value of productive people in comparison to less productive people obtained on a time perception scale. This is true
within each population/language group, as well as when groups are compared.
* Both in the case of age and improved qualifications, it was indicated that less productive as well as productive people's averages on active integrated time perception
scale~ increase with age and higher qualifications.
* There are significant differences between the time perception of productive and less productive people within the different religions.