IFP3701
Assignment 5 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 21 August 2026
1. QUESTION 1: SCENARIO A
1.1 Meaning of information behaviour
Information behaviour describes the different ways in which people respond to
information in their daily, academic or working lives. It includes becoming aware of
an information need, deciding where to look, searching for information, judging what
has been found, using it and sometimes rejecting it. The concept also includes the
feelings and reactions that arise while a person is dealing with information, because
searching is not only a technical activity but also a human experience (Wilson, 1999;
Maluleka, 2020:3). For example, a student may realise that existing knowledge is not
enough to complete an assignment, search several online sources, compare their
credibility and then use the most suitable material in the final paper. Information
behaviour is therefore broader than information searching because it covers the
, QUESTION 1
1.1 Meaning of bullying in an inclusive Foundation Phase classroom
Bullying in an inclusive Foundation Phase classroom can be understood as repeated
harmful behaviour where one learner or a group uses greater physical, social or
emotional power to frighten, hurt, embarrass or exclude another learner. In a young
classroom this behaviour may appear through hitting, pushing, name calling, threats,
teasing, taking belongings, deliberate exclusion or repeated intimidation, and the
important concern is that the targeted learner does not feel equally safe or accepted.
Inclusive education requires a classroom where differences are respected, barriers
are reduced and every learner can participate as a valued member of the group
(Department of Education, 2001). Bullying therefore conflicts directly with inclusion
because it creates fear, weakens belonging and prevents some learners from using
the same learning opportunities as their classmates (Department of Basic Education,
2014).
1.2 Possible causes of bullying among Foundation Phase learners
1.2.1 Conflict and behaviour carried from home or the community
One possible cause is that conflict from the home or neighbourhood may be carried
into the school, especially when young learners copy behaviour that they regularly
observe around them. The principal in the case explains that some children live in
the same streets where families have personal disagreements, and these tensions
sometimes continue between the children at school (Cawe, 2026). This pattern fits
an ecological view of learner development because the family, neighbourhood and
classroom are closely connected environments that influence the child’s behaviour
over time (Donald, Lazarus & Lolwana, 2010). A learner who repeatedly sees
aggression being used to settle disagreements may therefore begin to treat the
same behaviour as normal when dealing with classmates.
1.2.2 Weak parental involvement and limited adult cooperation
A second cause may be weak cooperation between adults when a learner begins
showing aggressive or harmful behaviour, because young children still need
Assignment 5 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 21 August 2026
1. QUESTION 1: SCENARIO A
1.1 Meaning of information behaviour
Information behaviour describes the different ways in which people respond to
information in their daily, academic or working lives. It includes becoming aware of
an information need, deciding where to look, searching for information, judging what
has been found, using it and sometimes rejecting it. The concept also includes the
feelings and reactions that arise while a person is dealing with information, because
searching is not only a technical activity but also a human experience (Wilson, 1999;
Maluleka, 2020:3). For example, a student may realise that existing knowledge is not
enough to complete an assignment, search several online sources, compare their
credibility and then use the most suitable material in the final paper. Information
behaviour is therefore broader than information searching because it covers the
, QUESTION 1
1.1 Meaning of bullying in an inclusive Foundation Phase classroom
Bullying in an inclusive Foundation Phase classroom can be understood as repeated
harmful behaviour where one learner or a group uses greater physical, social or
emotional power to frighten, hurt, embarrass or exclude another learner. In a young
classroom this behaviour may appear through hitting, pushing, name calling, threats,
teasing, taking belongings, deliberate exclusion or repeated intimidation, and the
important concern is that the targeted learner does not feel equally safe or accepted.
Inclusive education requires a classroom where differences are respected, barriers
are reduced and every learner can participate as a valued member of the group
(Department of Education, 2001). Bullying therefore conflicts directly with inclusion
because it creates fear, weakens belonging and prevents some learners from using
the same learning opportunities as their classmates (Department of Basic Education,
2014).
1.2 Possible causes of bullying among Foundation Phase learners
1.2.1 Conflict and behaviour carried from home or the community
One possible cause is that conflict from the home or neighbourhood may be carried
into the school, especially when young learners copy behaviour that they regularly
observe around them. The principal in the case explains that some children live in
the same streets where families have personal disagreements, and these tensions
sometimes continue between the children at school (Cawe, 2026). This pattern fits
an ecological view of learner development because the family, neighbourhood and
classroom are closely connected environments that influence the child’s behaviour
over time (Donald, Lazarus & Lolwana, 2010). A learner who repeatedly sees
aggression being used to settle disagreements may therefore begin to treat the
same behaviour as normal when dealing with classmates.
1.2.2 Weak parental involvement and limited adult cooperation
A second cause may be weak cooperation between adults when a learner begins
showing aggressive or harmful behaviour, because young children still need
